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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fine — all right
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. kick — in football
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fine — high quality
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. net — for catching
  17. rock — music
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. net — after costs
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. net — in sport
  23. shower — rain
  24. jam — a tight spot

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