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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. swing — in golf
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rock — music
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bank — for money
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bank — of a river
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. swing — to play on
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. swing — music
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bore — to drill
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bank — for money
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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