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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. branch — a division
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. dip — to sink
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. content — the amount
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. toast — bread
  18. content — happy

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