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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bank — for money
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. swing — music
  5. land — ground
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bank — for money
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. kick — in football
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tube — the underground
  13. land — a country
  14. tube — a container
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mark — a grade
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wound — an injury
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. land — to come down
  24. lash — to lash out

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