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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mark — a trace
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rash — hasty
  7. chip — to eat
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. season — of the year
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rash — a series
  13. kick — in football
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. bank — of a river
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. season — in sport

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