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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bank — for money
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bank — for money
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. lie — to recline
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bat — the animal
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. shower — rain
  24. lash — to lash out

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