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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. drill — a practice
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wind — moving air
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bank — for money
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wind — moving air
  16. drill — army training
  17. rush — hurry
  18. drill — the tool
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. squash — to crush
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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