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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spring — of water
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bank — for money
  12. kick — in football
  13. lean — to bend
  14. hand — help
  15. spring — the season
  16. bank — for money
  17. lean — thin
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fan — a supporter

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