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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bank — for money
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. kick — in football
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bank — of a river
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bank — for money
  13. hand — help
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wake — a trail
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. kick — a thrill

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