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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fall — to drop
  3. kick — in football
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bank — for money
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fall — to drop
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bank — for money
  20. fall — the season
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bank — of a river

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