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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bank — for money
  3. ground — the earth
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fall — the season
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mark — a trace
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bank — for money
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ground — a position
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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