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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. chair — a leader
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. suit — to fit
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. kick — in football
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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