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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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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: shower · mark · kick · lean · cap · scale · bank · mouse

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bank — for money
  5. shower — rain
  6. bank — for money
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bank — of a river
  11. lean — to bend
  12. kick — in football
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cap — of ice
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mark — a trace
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. scale — in music
  23. lean — thin
  24. scale — for weighing

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