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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. kick — in football
  8. spring — the season
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. spring — of water
  17. branch — a division
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pop — music
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rush — to hurry

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