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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 116 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. fall — the season
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chip — to eat
  8. craft — boats
  9. club — for golf
  10. kid — child
  11. bank — of a river
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bank — for money
  15. fall — to drop
  16. kick — in football
  17. club — a group
  18. kid — to tease
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. club — for dancing
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — 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