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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. suit — clothes
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bank — for money
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. kick — in football
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bank — of a river
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. tear — to rip
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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