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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 120 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fine — all right
  4. mug — to rob
  5. content — the amount
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. staff — employees
  8. mug — a face
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. clip — a video
  13. staff — a stick
  14. content — happy
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bank — for money
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — employees
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bank — for money
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. clip — for paper

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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