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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. craft — a skill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. kick — in football
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mate — to breed

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