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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bank — for money
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. squash — the sport
  7. tear — from crying
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bank — of a river
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tear — from crying
  16. squash — to crush
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bank — for money
  20. chip — to eat
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tear — to rip
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. ball — a great time

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