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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 116 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bank — for money
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. board — to get on
  6. spell — letters
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bank — for money
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bass — low music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bound — certain
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spell — magic
  23. board — a committee
  24. bass — the fish

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