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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. net — in sport
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mug — to rob
  5. drill — the tool
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. present — the time now
  10. mug — a face
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — army training
  13. can — to be able to
  14. squash — the sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. drill — a practice
  18. net — for catching
  19. kick — in football
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. can — a tin
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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