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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.

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: kid · land · dip · branch · fine · foot · racket · face

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. land — ground
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fine — high quality
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. face — to confront
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. land — a country
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fine — all right
  13. face — to point toward
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. branch — a division
  16. kid — to tease
  17. land — to come down
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. kid — child
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. face — part of the head

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