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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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bank — for money
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. hand — help
  12. wake — a trail
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. rest — a break
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — for money
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. court — for sport

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