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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 the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. branch — a division
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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