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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: pit · squash · kick · bank · tube · bore · arm · rest

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bank — for money
  13. rest — a break
  14. bank — of a river
  15. squash — the sport
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. kick — in football
  21. pit — in a race
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. squash — to crush

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