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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. vault — a safe
  5. row — a line
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kick — in football
  9. bank — for money
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bass — low music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pit — in a race
  14. snap — to click
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. row — to paddle
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pit — a hole
  24. row — a quarrel

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