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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: nail · rest · kick · swing · branch · rash · safe · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. swing — music
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. branch — a division
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rest — a break
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. kick — in football
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rash — on the skin

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