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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bank — of a river
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bank — for money
  12. bore — to tire
  13. degree — temperature
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fine — all right
  18. degree — from a university
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. racket — for tennis

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