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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. chest — a box
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. field — farmland
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. swing — in golf
  10. field — a subject
  11. swing — to play on
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stand — to bear
  15. swing — music
  16. field — for sport
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. chest — of your body
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bank — for money
  24. chest — of your body

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