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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. foot — a measure
  3. march — the month
  4. bank — for money
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. shower — to wash
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. prune — to trim
  9. march — the month
  10. bank — of a river
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — for money
  13. march — music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — a city
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. shower — rain
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. capital — money
  24. lash — an eyelash

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