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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cell — a phone
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bank — for money
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bank — for money
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. shower — rain
  15. stand — to bear
  16. ground — the earth
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. cell — in biology
  19. shower — to wash
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ground — a position
  24. cell — in a prison

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