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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. squash — the sport
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. branch — a division
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. kick — in football
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. squash — to crush
  18. branch — of a tree

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