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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mark — a grade
  6. season — in sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mark — a trace
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. branch — a division
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. season — of the year

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