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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. ball — a great time
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. staff — a stick
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. staff — employees
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pit — a hole
  18. staff — employees
  19. branch — a division
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bear — the animal
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. kick — in football

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