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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: kick · bark · ball · tube · key · saw · branch · shower

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. ball — a dance
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bark — to shout
  12. kick — in football
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. tube — the underground
  18. saw — the tool
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. kick — a thrill

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