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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · prune · chair · kick · roll · tube · bound · lash

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bound — obliged
  4. chair — a leader
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bank — of a river
  7. roll — a cake
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bank — for money
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bound — certain
  15. roll — a list
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bank — for money
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. tube — a container
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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