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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bark — to shout
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cap — a hat
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bank — of a river
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bank — for money
  24. fan — a supporter

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