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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: date · branch · content · kick · rush · can · chair · swing

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. content — happy
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. kick — in football
  6. swing — music
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. chair — a leader
  11. can — a tin
  12. date — the fruit
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. swing — to play on
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. can — a tin
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. can — to be able to
  20. branch — a division
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. content — the amount
  23. swing — in golf
  24. chair — to sit on

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