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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. can — a tin
  3. cell — a phone
  4. branch — a division
  5. fine — all right
  6. date — the fruit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. tear — to rip
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. can — a tin
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. tear — from crying
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fine — high quality
  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