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

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. roll — a cake
  4. court — of a king
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bank — of a river
  8. court — for sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bank — for money
  11. rest — a break
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rest — what's left
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. court — of law
  16. roll — a list
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg

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