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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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Word bank
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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. swing — to play on
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. object — to protest
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. swing — in golf
  8. root — of a word
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. object — an aim
  11. branch — a division
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. root — the cause
  16. pit — in a race
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pit — a hole
  20. swing — music
  21. object — a thing
  22. root — of a plant
  23. can — to be able to
  24. temple — side of the head

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