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

Word bank: object · cue · present · bank · lash · face · mate · bat

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bank — for money
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cue — a signal
  7. present — there
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bank — of a river
  10. object — to protest
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. present — the time now
  14. bat — the animal
  15. object — a thing
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bank — for money
  20. present — a gift
  21. mate — a partner
  22. face — to confront
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cue — for pool

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