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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. firm — steady
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mug — a face
  5. cell — a phone
  6. firm — decided
  7. bank — for money
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kick — in football
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cell — in biology
  16. kid — to tease
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. snap — to click
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mug — to rob
  21. firm — a company
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bank — for money

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