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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. kick — with a leg
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. branch — a division
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kick — in football
  11. mark — a grade
  12. current — happening now
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. current — of water
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. current — electric
  23. fork — in a road
  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