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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: lash · bear · cabinet · key · kick · bank · chip · pound

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pound — a weight
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. key — in music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bank — for money

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