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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. bank — for money
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. chest — a box
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fine — all right
  10. chest — of your body
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bank — for money
  14. chest — of your body
  15. object — an aim
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fine — high quality
  19. deal — to handle
  20. row — a line
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ball — a dance
  24. deal — a big deal

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