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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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. row — to paddle
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. content — happy
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. row — a line
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. content — the amount
  16. ball — a great time
  17. branch — a division
  18. rash — a series
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. plane — a tool
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rash — hasty

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