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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 124 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. spell — letters
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. suit — to fit
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. mark — a trace
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. staff — employees
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. mark — a grade
  18. suit — clothes
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. staff — employees
  22. suit — in cards
  23. staff — a stick
  24. branch — a division

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