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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mine — for digging
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stock — goods
  11. bank — for money
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bound — certain
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. stock — shares
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bank — for money
  23. kick — in football
  24. bound — tied together

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