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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. can — a tin
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. field — farmland
  5. can — a tin
  6. rock — music
  7. staff — employees
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bank — for money
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. can — to be able to
  17. staff — employees
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. field — for sport
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. field — a subject

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