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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rule — a law
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. sharp — clever

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