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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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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 · bank · mate · fan · lie · arm · bat · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mate — a friend
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bank — for money
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mark — a grade

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