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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. last — finally
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bank — for money
  9. last — to go on
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mug — a cup
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. last — final
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pitch — completely
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wake — a trail
  23. ground — a position
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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