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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bank — of a river
  4. file — a line of people
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. present — a gift
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. file — a tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. scale — in music
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. tear — to rip
  15. present — there
  16. dip — to sink
  17. scale — size or range
  18. kick — in football
  19. bank — for money
  20. file — a document
  21. tear — from crying
  22. present — the time now
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. tear — from crying

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