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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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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: branch · last · firm · rush · stock · calf · kick · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. branch — a division
  3. firm — decided
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. last — final
  6. rush — hurry
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. firm — steady
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stock — shares
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. firm — a company
  17. face — to point toward
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. last — finally
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. face — to confront
  22. last — to go on
  23. kick — in football
  24. stock — goods

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