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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mate — a partner
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. current — of water
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. band — a ring
  11. current — happening now
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. branch — a division
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wake — a trail
  20. band — a music group
  21. current — electric
  22. foot — a measure
  23. branch — of a bank
  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