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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wound — an injury
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wind — moving air
  9. root — the cause
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wind — moving air
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mug — a face
  16. kick — in football
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mug — a cup
  20. root — of a word
  21. lie — to recline
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mug — to rob

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