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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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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 · branch · safe · firm · band · mate · cabinet · lash

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. firm — decided
  3. band — a music group
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. branch — a division
  7. firm — steady
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mate — a partner
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. firm — a company
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. band — a ring
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. band — a rubber band

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