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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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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: land · fan · lash · ground · fork · bowl · bank · straw

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. land — a country
  10. bank — of a river
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ground — a position
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. land — to come down
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bank — for money
  19. ground — crushed
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. land — ground
  24. straw — dry grass

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