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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. face — to confront
  5. saw — the tool
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bank — for money
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bank — of a river
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — a group
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. club — for golf
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. saw — the tool
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stem — to come from
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bank — for money
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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