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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bank — for money
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. march — the month
  9. bank — for money
  10. track — a path
  11. march — the month
  12. hand — help
  13. kid — to tease
  14. can — a tin
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. bulb — for light
  21. kid — child
  22. march — music
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bank — of a river

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