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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bank — for money
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. drill — a practice
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. foot — a measure
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. squash — to crush
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. drill — army training
  16. bank — for money
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bank — of a river
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. lie — to recline

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