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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. club — a group
  3. suit — clothes
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bore — to drill
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. present — the time now
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. present — there
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. branch — a division
  18. club — for golf
  19. suit — in cards
  20. club — for dancing
  21. suit — to fit
  22. present — a gift
  23. bore — to tire
  24. kick — in football

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