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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cap — a hat
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cap — a lid
  8. branch — a division
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. kick — in football
  14. cap — of ice
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rush — to hurry

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