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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. swing — music
  3. kick — in football
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. fine — high quality
  6. swing — to play on
  7. face — to confront
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. fine — all right
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bass — the fish
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bass — low music
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. branch — of a tree

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