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

Word bank: fine · rule · race · wound · lash · last · kick · bank

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bank — for money
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kick — in football
  7. bank — for money
  8. wound — an injury
  9. race — humankind
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. last — finally
  12. rule — a law
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. race — a contest
  16. bank — of a river
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fine — all right
  23. rule — government
  24. wound — an injury

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