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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pop — music
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pop — to visit
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. band — a ring
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pop — soda
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lie — to recline
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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