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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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. track — to keep track
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bank — of a river
  6. track — a path
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bank — for money
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. track — a song
  18. tube — a container
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bank — for money
  24. kick — with a leg

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