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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bank — for money
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stock — goods
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stock — shares

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