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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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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: squash · kick · branch · hide · ball · track · bound · calf

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kick — in football
  5. track — a song
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. ball — a dance
  8. squash — to crush
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. track — a path
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bound — certain
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ball — a great time
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. branch — a division
  23. bound — tied together
  24. branch — of a bank

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