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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fall — the season
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. land — ground
  7. firm — a company
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. firm — decided
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. land — a country
  20. firm — steady
  21. bank — for money
  22. land — to come down
  23. bank — for money
  24. kick — in football

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