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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. content — happy
  8. object — to protest
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. object — a thing
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. staff — a stick
  19. content — the amount
  20. staff — employees
  21. bank — for money
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bank — for money
  24. object — an aim

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