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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 124 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. branch — a division
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — a container
  7. saw — the tool
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. saw — the tool
  13. field — a subject
  14. mate — a friend
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. field — for sport
  19. tube — the underground
  20. sharp — clever
  21. foot — a measure
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. field — farmland
  24. mate — a partner

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