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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bank — for money
  3. spring — a coil
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. kick — in football
  8. bank — of a river
  9. board — to get on
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. spring — of water
  14. board — a committee
  15. club — for dancing
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. club — a group
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. spring — the season
  22. club — for golf
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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