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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. bank — of a river
  7. season — in sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. staff — employees
  11. bank — for money
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rash — a series
  21. race — humankind
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bank — for money
  24. perch — for a bird

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