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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 116 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. branch — a division
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hand — in cards
  5. snap — to click
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. hand — help
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. hide — to keep secret

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