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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 120 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: cell · club · object · bank · prune · kick · bat · dip

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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. cell — a phone
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bank — of a river
  4. object — a thing
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. kick — in football
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bank — for money
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. prune — to trim
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. object — to protest
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bank — for money
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. prune — to trim
  23. object — an aim
  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