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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bat — the animal
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. object — an aim
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — to get on
  12. bank — for money
  13. board — a committee
  14. object — a thing
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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