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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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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: stick · branch · chair · rule · cabinet · dip · kick · safe

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. kick — in football
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. cabinet — ministers

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