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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. net — after costs
  3. bank — for money
  4. shower — rain
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. saw — the tool
  10. net — for catching
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bank — of a river
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. net — in sport

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