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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. chest — of your body
  9. branch — a division
  10. chest — of your body
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chest — a box
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pass — a permit

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