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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 116 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bank — of a river
  4. season — of the year
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. band — a music group
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pass — a permit
  10. kick — in football
  11. bank — for money
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. band — a ring
  19. pop — music
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bank — for money
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pop — soda

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