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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: kick · bank · lie · bark · cue · tear · safe · lash

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lie — to recline
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bank — for money
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. kick — in football
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bank — for money
  24. safe — out of danger

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