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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. season — of the year
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bass — low music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wind — moving air
  11. hand — help
  12. bank — for money
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. season — in sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bass — the fish
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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