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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bank — for money
  3. ball — a great time
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. tear — from crying
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pitch — completely
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pound — a weight
  11. staff — employees
  12. tear — from crying
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bank — for money
  22. degree — temperature
  23. staff — employees
  24. ball — a dance

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