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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. branch — a division
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pop — soda
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. shower — rain
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pop — music
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pop — to visit
  22. field — farmland
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. branch — of a tree

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