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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. date — the fruit
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bore — to tire
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lean — thin
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mate — a friend
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — a division
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mate — a partner
  24. branch — of a bank

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