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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: branch · squash · kick · safe · track · cue · swing · tear

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. squash — to crush
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cue — a signal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. branch — a division
  10. cue — a hint
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cue — for pool
  13. squash — the sport
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. swing — music
  16. kick — in football
  17. track — a song
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. tear — from crying
  20. track — a path
  21. swing — to play on
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. branch — of a bank

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