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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.

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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bank — for money
  3. root — the cause
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. court — for sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. court — of a king
  10. tube — a container
  11. saw — the tool
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. court — of law
  15. current — of water
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bank — of a river
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tube — the underground
  21. root — of a plant
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. root — of a word

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