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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bank — for money
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. ground — a position
  18. lean — thin
  19. bass — low music
  20. chest — a box
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stand — on your feet

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