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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 116 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. present — there
  6. ground — a position
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bank — for money
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. clip — a video
  14. bank — for money
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bear — the animal
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bank — of a river

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