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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: dip · bank · rule · rest · staff · wound · stem · kick

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. kick — in football
  3. staff — employees
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rule — government
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bank — for money
  19. staff — employees
  20. rest — a break
  21. rule — a law
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. kick — a thrill

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