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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 124 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. ball — a dance
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. suit — clothes
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. band — a ring
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. row — to paddle
  14. branch — a division
  15. suit — to fit
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. suit — in cards
  18. band — a music group
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. row — a line
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. calf — a young animal

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