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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. tear — to rip
  3. mate — a partner
  4. tear — from crying
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fork — in a road
  7. branch — a division
  8. lean — to bend
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. scale — size or range
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mate — to breed
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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