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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. fall — the season
  3. bank — for money
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bank — for money
  10. object — an aim
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rock — music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. object — to protest
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. object — a thing
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bank — of a river
  24. kick — in football

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