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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. object — a thing
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. capital — a city
  9. bank — for money
  10. object — to protest
  11. bank — for money
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. capital — money
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. object — an aim
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bowl — a football final

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