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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: rush · mate · branch · racket · calf · lie · cue · ground

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ground — a position
  3. branch — a division
  4. mate — a friend
  5. ground — crushed
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mate — to breed
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rush — hurry
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cue — for pool
  13. lie — to recline
  14. ground — the earth
  15. cue — a hint
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cue — a signal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mate — a partner
  24. racket — for tennis

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