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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 116 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mark — a trace
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cold — not warm
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bank — for money
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. current — happening now
  11. net — in sport
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. wind — moving air
  19. net — after costs
  20. current — of water
  21. net — for catching
  22. current — electric
  23. bank — for money
  24. cold — an illness

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