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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. craft — boats
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. craft — a skill
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. sharp — clever
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. calf — of the leg

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