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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — the amount
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. race — the arms race
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. suit — clothes
  14. race — a contest
  15. suit — to fit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. suit — in cards
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. race — humankind
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. calf — of the leg

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