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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bank — of a river
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rash — a series
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bat — the animal
  13. content — the amount
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bank — for money
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. content — happy
  19. bank — for money
  20. scale — in music
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rash — hasty

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