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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. foot — a measure
  3. game — wild animals
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bank — for money
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. game — a match
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. bank — of a river
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rock — music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rock — a stone
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. lash — an eyelash

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