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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. suit — clothes
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. suit — in cards
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stem — to come from
  11. saw — the tool
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. saw — the tool
  18. suit — to fit
  19. kick — in football
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. present — there
  24. branch — a division

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