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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 124 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bank — for money
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bank — for money
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. staff — employees
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rock — a stone
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rock — music
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pound — a weight
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. staff — a stick
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. face — to point toward
  19. kick — in football
  20. mark — a grade
  21. face — to confront
  22. staff — employees
  23. kid — child
  24. mark — a trace

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