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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bank — for money
  3. march — the month
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. kick — in football
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. bound — obliged
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bank — for money
  15. march — the month
  16. spring — of water
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bank — of a river
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bound — certain
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. march — music

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