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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 124 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. last — to go on
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. last — finally
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. squash — the sport
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. last — final
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. saw — the tool
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. kick — in football
  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