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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rule — a law
  11. pit — in a race
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. present — a gift
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. present — there
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rule — government
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mark — a grade
  21. branch — a division
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. present — the time now
  24. mark — to pay attention

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