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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. net — after costs
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. branch — a division
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. net — in sport
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. net — for catching
  22. squash — to crush
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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