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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. spell — magic
  7. march — the month
  8. branch — a division
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. tube — a container
  11. spell — a short time
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. game — wild animals
  14. tube — the underground
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. march — the month
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spell — letters
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. march — music
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. game — a match

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