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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. firm — decided
  5. root — the cause
  6. hand — help
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. firm — steady
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. tear — from crying
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. root — of a plant
  17. tear — to rip
  18. root — of a word
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. band — a music group
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. firm — a company
  23. band — a ring
  24. hand — in cards

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