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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. kick — in football
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rest — a break
  18. branch — a division
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bank — for money
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rest — what's left
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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