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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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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fall — the season
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cue — a signal
  9. branch — a division
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. shower — rain
  17. fall — to drop
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fall — to drop
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cue — a hint
  24. shower — to wash

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