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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bass — low music
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bank — of a river
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. bank — for money
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. land — a country
  23. staff — employees
  24. lash — an eyelash

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