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

Word bank: squash · mate · stand · cell · ball · bank · lash · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cell — a phone
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cell — in biology
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bank — of a river
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. squash — to crush
  13. present — there
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bank — for money
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. present — a gift
  24. mate — to breed

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