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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 120 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: key · branch · kick · calf · cold · fan · drill · racket

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. key — for a lock
  5. drill — army training
  6. key — in music
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cold — not warm
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — the tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. drill — a practice
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cold — an illness
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. key — the most important part
  19. branch — a division
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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