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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. track — a song
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bank — of a river
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mug — to rob
  10. band — a ring
  11. present — there
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. band — a music group
  19. track — a path
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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