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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. charge — in control
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. suit — clothes
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. vault — a safe
  13. kick — in football
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. charge — electricity
  18. root — of a word
  19. suit — to fit
  20. root — the cause
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. root — of a plant
  23. charge — a price
  24. kick — with a leg

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