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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rest — what's left
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rest — what's left
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rest — a break
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. branch — a division

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