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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 · pitcher · snap · march · branch · leaves · kid · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. march — the month
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. march — the month
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rush — hurry
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. branch — a division
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. march — music
  22. kick — in football
  23. snap — to click
  24. kid — child

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