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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. tear — from crying
  4. object — a thing
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. object — an aim
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rash — hasty
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. object — to protest
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. toast — bread
  14. tear — to rip
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rash — a series
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. land — to come down
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. land — a country
  22. tear — from crying
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. land — ground

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