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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: bowl · bark · lie · bat · kick · race · snap · bank

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bank — of a river
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. snap — to click
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bank — for money
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. kick — in football
  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