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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bank — for money
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bank — for money
  11. mark — a grade
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. kick — in football
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pit — in a race
  19. file — a tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. file — a document
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mark — a trace

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