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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. kick — in football
  5. bank — for money
  6. swing — music
  7. bank — for money
  8. swing — to play on
  9. file — a line of people
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bank — of a river
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cell — in biology
  15. deal — to handle
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cell — a phone
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. file — a tool
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. file — a document
  24. stock — goods

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