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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. branch — a division
  5. stock — shares
  6. degree — temperature
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stock — goods
  11. pass — a permit
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. fall — the season
  15. cell — in biology
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cell — a phone
  20. chair — a leader
  21. degree — an amount
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stock — a soup base
  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