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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. last — final
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. date — the fruit
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. last — finally
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. can — a tin
  22. last — to go on
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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