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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. swing — to play on
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. spring — of water
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bank — for money
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. spring — a coil
  14. tear — to rip
  15. spring — the season
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mug — a face
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mark — a grade
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mark — a trace

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