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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bank — for money
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. can — a tin
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. race — the arms race
  12. can — a tin
  13. bank — of a river
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bank — for money
  16. race — a contest
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wound — an injury
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. race — humankind
  24. bowl — to roll

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