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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rock — music
  3. bank — for money
  4. rock — a stone
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ball — a dance
  7. spring — the season
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spring — of water
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bank — for money
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — an illness
  22. kick — in football
  23. ball — a great time
  24. kick — a thrill

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