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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mate — a partner
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mate — to breed
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. file — a document
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mate — a friend
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. file — a tool
  24. safe — out of danger

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