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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. branch — a division
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. current — electric
  10. kick — in football
  11. hand — in cards
  12. object — a thing
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. object — an aim
  15. current — of water
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. current — happening now
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. chair — a leader
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. object — to protest
  24. chair — a professorship

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