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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. chest — a box
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cap — a lid
  6. charge — a price
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cap — a hat
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bank — of a river
  11. chest — of your body
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. charge — electricity
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bank — for money
  19. charge — in control
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bank — for money
  23. cap — of ice
  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