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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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. cap — of ice
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kick — in football
  6. cap — a lid
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cap — a hat
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. press — to push
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cell — a phone
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bank — for money
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bank — for money
  21. squash — the sport
  22. press — a publisher
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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