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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 116 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. present — a gift
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rash — hasty
  6. staff — employees
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rash — a series
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. rest — what's left
  11. branch — a division
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fork — in a road
  14. kick — in football
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. present — there
  19. staff — employees
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rest — a break
  23. present — the time now
  24. kick — a thrill

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