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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: bear · mug · kick · branch · cabinet · bat · charge · kid

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. branch — of a tree
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kick — in football
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bat — the animal
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mug — to rob
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. charge — in control
  20. kid — child
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. branch — a division
  23. mug — a face
  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