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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. track — a song
  7. bank — for money
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. track — to keep track
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. can — to be able to
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. track — a path
  17. can — a tin
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bank — for money
  20. can — a tin
  21. chest — of your body
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bank — of a river

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