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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · temple · mark · kick · clip · stick · leaves · rush

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. clip — for paper
  5. mark — a trace
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rush — hurry
  13. clip — a video
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kick — in football
  17. clip — to cut
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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