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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bank — for money
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bank — for money
  8. stem — to come from
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. capital — money
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bank — of a river
  14. capital — a city
  15. ground — the earth
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bound — obliged
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. capital — a big letter

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