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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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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 · bear · swing · cabinet · rule · stick · kick · foot

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rule — a law
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. swing — to play on
  9. kick — in football
  10. bear — the animal
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. swing — music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — in golf
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bear — to put up with

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