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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: march · fan · fall · kick · snap · cue · bank · bay

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fall — to drop
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. snap — to click
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fall — the season
  12. bank — of a river
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bank — for money
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. cue — a hint
  19. march — the month
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bank — for money
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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