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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pop — music
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pop — soda
  5. bank — for money
  6. pop — to visit
  7. staff — a stick
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. last — final
  11. bound — certain
  12. kick — in football
  13. bank — of a river
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. staff — employees
  16. last — finally
  17. bank — for money
  18. last — to go on
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bound — tied together
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bound — obliged
  24. staff — employees

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