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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. track — a song
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. staff — employees
  9. wind — moving air
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. ground — the earth
  13. staff — employees
  14. object — a thing
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bank — for money
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pop — music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. object — an aim
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. ground — a position
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pop — soda

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