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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. kick — in football
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mug — a face
  5. cap — a lid
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mug — a cup
  21. scale — in music
  22. rush — hurry
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rest — a break

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