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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. tear — from crying
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bank — for money
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. tear — from crying
  15. toast — bread
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. capital — money
  18. bank — for money
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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