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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bank — for money
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bank — for money
  8. track — a path
  9. row — a line
  10. fall — to drop
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bank — of a river
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. lie — to recline
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fall — the season
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lash — an eyelash

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