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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. can — a tin
  6. bound — certain
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bound — obliged
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bound — tied together
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. board — to get on
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kick — in football
  20. branch — a division
  21. saw — the tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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