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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. branch — a division
  9. game — wild animals
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. game — a match
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. kick — in football
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. band — a ring
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. object — a thing
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. band — a music group

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