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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. ________________ 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. branch — a division
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bound — obliged
  8. season — of the year
  9. bound — certain
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bound — tied together
  13. tear — from crying
  14. season — in sport
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. tear — from crying
  18. snap — to click
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. kick — in football
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. 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