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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bank — for money
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kick — in football
  9. drill — the tool
  10. kid — child
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rash — a series
  15. bank — for money
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fine — high quality
  18. vault — a safe
  19. drill — a practice
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bank — of a river

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