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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bank — for money
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bank — for money
  23. degree — an amount
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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