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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. kick — in football
  2. bank — of a river
  3. capital — money
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. spell — letters
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bank — for money
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. spell — a short time
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. spell — magic
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. capital — a city
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. band — a music group
  20. bank — for money
  21. lean — thin
  22. chip — for betting
  23. band — a ring
  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