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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kick — in football
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. fall — to drop
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fall — the season

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