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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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Word bank
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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: kick · bank · game · mate · lash · firm · hand · chip

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. chip — for betting
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bank — for money
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. hand — help
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. firm — steady
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. hand — in cards
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. chip — to eat
  24. game — a match

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