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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. branch — a division
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mate — to breed
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. deal — to handle
  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