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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 116 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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fall — to drop
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bank — for money
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kid — child
  8. kick — in football
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fall — the season
  15. bank — of a river
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cue — for pool
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bank — for money
  22. plane — a tool
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cue — a signal

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