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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 124 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spring — of water
  3. rest — a break
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bark — to shout
  11. spring — a coil
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bank — of a river
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bank — for money
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — the season
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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