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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. shower — to wash
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bound — tied together
  8. shower — rain
  9. swing — in golf
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. ground — a position
  14. bank — for money
  15. swing — music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. craft — boats
  18. ground — the earth
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. craft — a skill

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