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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bound — certain
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bore — to tire
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bore — to drill
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. branch — a division
  18. bound — obliged

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