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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cap — a hat
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bank — of a river
  5. firm — decided
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. drill — a practice
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bank — for money
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. content — the amount
  16. bank — for money
  17. cap — a lid
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. firm — steady
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. tear — to rip
  23. drill — army training
  24. cap — of ice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com