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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. shower — rain
  14. rest — a break
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bank — for money
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fan — to cool the air

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