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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — in sport
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bank — for money
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. wind — moving air
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. net — after costs
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. net — for catching
  22. kick — in football
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pass — to succeed

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