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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cue — for pool
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bank — for money
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. cue — a signal
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bank — of a river
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. kick — in football
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lash — an eyelash

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