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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bank — for money
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. shower — to wash
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. shower — rain
  18. sharp — clever
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bank — for money
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rock — music

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