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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · kick · cue · face · court · bank

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. court — of a king
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bank — of a river
  5. face — to point toward
  6. court — for sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — to confront
  9. cue — a signal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. face — part of the head
  12. court — of law
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bank — for money
  17. kick — in football
  18. dip — to dunk

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