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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bank — for money
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. land — a country
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. nail — on a finger

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