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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: bay · suit · rule · fine · kick · snap · racket · branch

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. suit — clothes
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rule — a law
  16. fine — high quality
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. kick — in football
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. branch — a division
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. snap — to click

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