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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bank — for money
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bank — of a river
  5. shower — to wash
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. firm — a company
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bank — for money
  11. shower — rain
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. firm — steady
  14. lean — to bend
  15. firm — decided
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rest — what's left
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. lean — thin
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rest — a break
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bat — the animal

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