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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rest — what's left
  4. current — of water
  5. bass — low music
  6. spring — of water
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bank — of a river
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. current — happening now
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bank — for money
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. bass — the fish
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. current — electric
  24. spring — the season

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