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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. chest — of your body
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. lean — to bend
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. board — to get on
  7. fine — all right
  8. kick — in football
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bank — for money
  12. fine — high quality
  13. board — a committee
  14. lean — thin
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bank — for money
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chest — a box
  24. cabinet — ministers

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