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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. march — music
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. branch — a division
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. march — the month
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. march — the month
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ground — crushed
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cue — a hint
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cue — a signal
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. cue — for pool

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