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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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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. dip — to sink
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fine — high quality
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. face — to point toward
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mate — a friend
  11. face — to confront
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mate — a partner
  15. branch — a division
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bore — to drill
  19. fine — all right
  20. face — part of the head
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. kick — in football

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