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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bank — for money
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. can — a tin
  5. cue — a hint
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. kid — child
  8. can — a tin
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bank — for money
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. dip — to sink
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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