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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pound — a weight
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. roll — a list
  14. clip — to cut
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bulb — for light

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