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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 124 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 ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bank — for money
  5. row — to paddle
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bank — of a river
  11. capital — money
  12. ground — the earth
  13. capital — a city
  14. bank — for money
  15. drill — army training
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. foot — a measure
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — a line
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. drill — the tool

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