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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bank — of a river
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bank — for money
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. swing — music
  14. cap — a hat
  15. present — a gift
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cap — a lid
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fork — in a road

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