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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.

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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: kick · bay · tear · dip · wake · shower · mate · branch

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mate — to breed
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. tear — from crying
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. branch — a division
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wake — a trail
  18. kick — in football
  19. tear — to rip
  20. mate — a partner
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mate — a friend
  24. shower — rain

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