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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · craft · scale · drill · branch · racket · patient · hand

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. scale — size or range
  6. drill — army training
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. kick — in football
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. scale — in music
  17. branch — a division
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. drill — a practice
  20. hand — in cards
  21. craft — boats
  22. hand — help
  23. drill — the tool
  24. hand — part of the body

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