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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bank — for money
  4. mug — to rob
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. club — for golf
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. club — a group
  9. bank — for money
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mug — a face
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. cap — a hat
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cap — a lid

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