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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. net — after costs
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. net — in sport
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chair — a leader
  16. net — for catching
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. branch — a division
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. temple — a place of worship

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