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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: club · kick · stick · branch · safe · trunk · hide · mate

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. club — for golf
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. club — a group
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. club — for dancing
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mate — to breed
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mate — a partner
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mate — a friend
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. kick — in football
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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