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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. club — for golf
  3. tear — to rip
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. tear — from crying
  10. object — to protest
  11. game — a match
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. root — the cause
  15. game — wild animals
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bank — for money
  18. object — an aim
  19. root — of a plant
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. root — of a word
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. coach — a trainer

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