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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cold — not warm
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. toast — bread
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bat — the animal
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cold — an illness
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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