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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 116 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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stem — to come from
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. kick — in football
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mug — to rob
  15. squash — the sport
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. fork — in a road
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. kick — a thrill

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