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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bank — of a river
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bank — for money
  15. march — the month
  16. mug — to rob
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mug — a cup
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. mug — a face
  24. kick — in football

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