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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. capital — money
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. march — music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. capital — a city
  23. branch — a division
  24. march — the month

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