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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fine — high quality
  4. last — to go on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. last — final
  7. bank — for money
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. net — after costs
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. net — in sport
  12. race — a contest
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fine — all right
  16. swing — music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bank — for money
  19. race — the arms race
  20. net — for catching
  21. race — humankind
  22. swing — to play on
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. last — finally

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