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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. chip — to eat
  5. can — a tin
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. can — to be able to
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. kick — in football
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bore — to drill
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rock — music
  22. branch — a division
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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