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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lean — thin
  11. cold — not warm
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. branch — a division
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bulb — for light
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bank — of a river

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