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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. club — for golf
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. last — to go on
  6. bass — the fish
  7. club — a group
  8. last — final
  9. bank — for money
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bank — for money
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bass — low music
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. club — for dancing
  18. season — in sport
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bank — of a river
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. last — finally

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