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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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 tree
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rash — a series
  6. cue — a hint
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pitch — completely
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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