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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. wind — moving air
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. suit — in cards
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. kick — in football
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stock — goods
  18. fine — all right
  19. stock — shares
  20. wind — moving air
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. row — a line
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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