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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · object · bat · staff · deal · wave · kick · nail

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bat — the animal
  8. kick — in football
  9. staff — employees
  10. object — an aim
  11. staff — a stick
  12. branch — a division
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. deal — a big deal

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