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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. track — to keep track
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bank — for money
  6. chest — of your body
  7. season — in sport
  8. track — a path
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. scale — in music
  12. season — of the year
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bank — for money
  15. rule — a law
  16. chest — of your body
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chest — a box
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. track — a song
  24. scale — for weighing

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