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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fall — the season
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. fall — to drop
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. branch — a division
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. present — the time now
  21. mark — a trace
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. dip — a sauce

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