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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. last — finally
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pit — in a race
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cell — in biology
  8. last — final
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cell — a phone
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. track — to keep track
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ball — a great time
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. last — to go on
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. track — a song
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. track — a path
  24. branch — a division

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