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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 116 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bulb — for light
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bank — for money
  7. cold — an illness
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bank — of a river
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. shower — rain
  23. cold — not warm
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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