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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. branch — a division
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. band — a ring
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. staff — employees
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. drill — a practice
  11. staff — a stick
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. drill — the tool
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. last — final
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. band — a music group

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