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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. branch — a division
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fall — to drop
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bat — the animal
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fall — to drop
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fall — the season
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. drill — the tool
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. drill — army training
  24. branch — of a bank

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