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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bank — for money
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. track — a path
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bear — the animal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bank — of a river
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. track — a song
  24. fine — high quality

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