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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. rush — hurry
  6. court — of a king
  7. kick — in football
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bound — certain
  10. branch — a division
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bound — tied together
  15. court — of law
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. court — for sport
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bound — obliged
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. kick — with a leg

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