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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · mug · scale · bank · wind · spring · file · court

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. scale — in music
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. court — for sport
  7. spring — a coil
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wind — moving air
  10. file — a tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mug — a face
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. spring — of water
  17. file — a document
  18. mug — a cup
  19. spring — the season
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. wind — moving air
  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