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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bank — of a river
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wind — moving air
  18. kick — in football
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bank — for money
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wind — moving air

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