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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. march — the month
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. root — the cause
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. march — the month
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. march — music
  22. root — of a word
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bowl — to roll

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