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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — magic
  5. track — a path
  6. hand — in cards
  7. field — a subject
  8. cap — a lid
  9. spell — a short time
  10. kick — in football
  11. spell — letters
  12. field — for sport
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. field — farmland
  15. cap — a hat
  16. track — to keep track
  17. charge — in control
  18. bank — for money
  19. charge — electricity
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bank — of a river
  22. track — a song
  23. charge — a price
  24. hand — help

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