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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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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: cell · branch · safe · track · ball · press · foot · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cell — a phone
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cell — in biology
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. kick — in football
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. press — a publisher
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. track — a path
  16. ball — a dance
  17. press — to push
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ball — a great time
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. track — a song
  23. branch — a division
  24. foot — a measure

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