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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 valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bank — for money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. capital — a city
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. object — an aim
  11. season — of the year
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. season — in sport
  14. object — to protest
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mark — a trace
  17. capital — money
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mouse — for a computer

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