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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: kick · fork · cabinet · sharp · branch · wave · bore · race

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. race — the arms race
  4. branch — a division
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bore — to drill
  12. race — a contest
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. kick — in football
  16. race — humankind
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bore — to tire
  23. sharp — exactly
  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