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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. kick — in football
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bank — for money
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. dip — to sink
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. present — there
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wind — moving air
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bank — for money
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. date — the fruit

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