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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bank — of a river
  3. object — an aim
  4. sharp — clever
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — a subject
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. cap — of ice
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. bank — for money
  12. mug — a cup
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. mug — a face
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mug — to rob
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. object — to protest
  19. field — for sport
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. object — a thing
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bank — for money
  24. sharp — exactly

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