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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. date — the fruit
  4. branch — a division
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. kid — to tease
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. kid — child
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — to tire
  14. can — to be able to
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bore — to drill
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mark — a grade
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. plane — a tool
  24. date — on the calendar

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