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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bound — tied together
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. branch — a division
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. hand — help
  8. key — for a lock
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. key — in music
  14. hand — in cards
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. kick — in football
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stand — to bear
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. season — of the year
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. key — the most important part

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