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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · scale · cold · spell · lash · jam · bank · fan

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. kick — in football
  8. spell — magic
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cold — an illness
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. scale — in music
  14. spell — letters
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. spell — a short time
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bank — for money
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bank — of a river

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