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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. swing — in golf
  3. charge — in control
  4. kick — in football
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. branch — a division
  7. object — a thing
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rest — a break
  11. fork — in a road
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. charge — a price
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. kid — child
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rest — what's left
  20. swing — music
  21. object — to protest
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. charge — electricity
  24. object — an aim

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