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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: pit · tear · stock · branch · hide · key · kick · calf

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. tear — from crying
  4. key — for a lock
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. kick — in football
  10. pit — in a race
  11. key — in music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stock — goods
  15. key — the most important part
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stock — shares
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pit — a hole
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. branch — a division

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