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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: kick · bear · land · chip · branch · kid · suit · rock

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rock — music
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. branch — a division
  7. kick — in football
  8. kid — child
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chip — to eat
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. suit — to fit
  17. land — to come down
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. chip — for betting
  21. suit — clothes
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rock — a stone

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