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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 ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cell — in biology
  7. staff — employees
  8. bulb — for light
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. staff — employees
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cell — a phone
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rock — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bank — for money
  20. board — to get on
  21. rock — a stone
  22. board — a committee
  23. staff — a stick
  24. board — a flat piece

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