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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. ground — the earth
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bank — for money
  5. mate — to breed
  6. date — the fruit
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bank — for money
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ground — a position
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. nail — for a hammer

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