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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mug — a cup
  3. file — a tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. file — a document
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bank — for money
  14. mug — to rob
  15. drill — the tool
  16. content — the amount
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. drill — a practice
  19. kick — in football
  20. drill — army training
  21. content — happy
  22. mug — a face
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lash — to lash out

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