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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. craft — boats
  4. branch — a division
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bat — the animal
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mark — a grade
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. tube — a container
  17. craft — a skill
  18. key — the most important part
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bat — for baseball

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