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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bound — obliged
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. court — of law
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bound — tied together
  12. court — of a king
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. swing — in golf
  16. staff — employees
  17. court — for sport
  18. bound — certain
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bank — for money
  21. swing — to play on
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. swing — music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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