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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — in sport
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. craft — boats
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. net — for catching
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. craft — a skill
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bank — for money
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. net — after costs

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