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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. branch — a division
  11. pop — soda
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. season — in sport
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pop — music
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. season — of the year
  21. snap — to click
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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