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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. hand — help
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. plane — a tool
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bank — for money
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bound — obliged
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. bound — certain

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