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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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. scale — in music
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wind — moving air
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. root — of a word
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bank — for money
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wind — moving air
  23. root — the cause
  24. drill — army training

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