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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bear — the animal
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. game — wild animals
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. net — in sport
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. game — a match
  15. rush — hurry
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. net — for catching
  18. chest — of your body
  19. net — after costs
  20. bank — for money
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bank — of a river
  23. chest — a box
  24. rush — to hurry

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