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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. branch — a division
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bound — tied together
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. kick — in football
  18. lie — to recline
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bound — certain
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mine — for digging

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