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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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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: deal · rush · bank · spring · bat · kick · calf · wound

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. spring — the season
  11. deal — to handle
  12. spring — of water
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. kick — in football
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bank — for money
  24. calf — a young animal

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