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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. season — in sport
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. staff — employees
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. staff — employees
  10. snap — to click
  11. present — a gift
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. content — happy
  14. present — there
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. present — the time now
  18. season — of the year
  19. kick — in football
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bank — for money
  23. content — the amount
  24. staff — a stick

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