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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. scale — size or range
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. drill — the tool
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wake — a trail
  17. scale — in music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. drill — army training
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rest — a break

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