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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. field — farmland
  3. bulb — for light
  4. roll — a list
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bank — for money
  15. field — a subject
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. field — for sport
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cell — in biology
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bank — for money

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