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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. net — for catching
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bat — the animal
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. staff — employees
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kick — in football
  16. face — to point toward
  17. branch — a division
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. net — in sport
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. net — after costs

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