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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 120 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. tube — the underground
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bank — for money
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. tube — a container
  10. net — in sport
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bank — of a river
  13. spell — letters
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. kick — in football
  16. bank — for money
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. spell — magic
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stand — on your feet

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