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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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Word bank
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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. present — the time now
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. present — there
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. present — a gift
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. kick — in football
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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