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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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. kick — in football
  2. hand — help
  3. march — the month
  4. cap — of ice
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. key — in music
  7. bank — for money
  8. march — music
  9. bank — for money
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. march — the month
  12. cap — a hat
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bank — of a river
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cap — a lid
  17. key — the most important part
  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