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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. object — an aim
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. kick — in football
  6. bank — for money
  7. net — for catching
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — in sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. object — to protest
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. object — a thing
  16. season — in sport
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. season — of the year
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mine — for digging
  21. net — after costs
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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