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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. land — ground
  5. rush — hurry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. content — happy
  8. land — a country
  9. field — a subject
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bank — for money
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. land — to come down
  14. club — for dancing
  15. content — the amount
  16. club — for golf
  17. bank — for money
  18. club — a group
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. field — farmland
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. field — for sport
  24. lash — to lash out

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