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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. can — a tin
  3. swing — to play on
  4. can — a tin
  5. bank — for money
  6. lean — thin
  7. race — a contest
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cap — a hat
  10. can — to be able to
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bank — for money
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bank — of a river
  18. race — humankind
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. race — the arms race
  24. swing — music

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