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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. season — in sport
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. dip — to sink
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. band — a ring
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lean — to bend
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. band — a music group
  23. season — of the year
  24. band — a rubber band

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