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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. branch — a division
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. plane — a tool
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. kick — in football
  20. bank — for money
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. wind — moving air
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. calf — of the leg

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