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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 124 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bass — the fish
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pit — in a race
  8. board — a committee
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. date — the fruit
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. board — to get on
  18. kick — in football
  19. pit — a hole
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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