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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bank — of a river
  5. track — a path
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lean — thin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hand — help
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. content — happy
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. track — to keep track
  19. lean — to bend
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. content — the amount
  23. track — a song
  24. cap — a lid

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