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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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 — a division
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. capital — money
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. capital — a city
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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