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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. kick — in football
  11. saw — the tool
  12. net — after costs
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — for money
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bank — of a river
  21. content — happy
  22. bank — for money
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. kick — with a leg

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