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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bank — for money
  5. shower — to wash
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bank — for money
  16. shower — rain
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mark — a trace
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bat — the animal
  23. kick — in football
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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