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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — steady
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. branch — a division
  16. pop — music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. firm — decided
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. firm — a company
  24. pop — soda

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