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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. staff — employees
  4. kick — in football
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. staff — a stick
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. branch — a division
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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