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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bank — for money
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bass — the fish
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — for paper
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. staff — employees
  13. bass — low music
  14. chest — a box
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. staff — employees
  18. clip — a video
  19. bank — for money
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bank — of a river

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