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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bark — to shout
  3. court — of law
  4. branch — a division
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. court — of a king
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. court — for sport
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wound — an injury
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. object — an aim
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. object — to protest
  23. rock — music
  24. wound — an injury

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