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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. suit — in cards
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hand — help
  6. land — to come down
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. suit — clothes
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. land — a country
  16. suit — to fit
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. land — ground
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. branch — a division

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