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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wind — moving air
  3. field — a subject
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. can — a tin
  6. object — an aim
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bank — for money
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. object — to protest
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. object — a thing
  16. bank — of a river
  17. field — farmland
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. can — a tin
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. field — for sport
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. wind — moving air

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