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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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. spring — the season
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. spring — of water
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. tear — from crying
  12. firm — a company
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pop — soda
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. tear — from crying
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. spring — a coil
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. firm — steady
  23. net — in sport
  24. firm — decided

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