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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. branch — a division
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rock — music
  8. bat — the animal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. bark — to shout
  13. press — to push
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. press — newspapers
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. court — of law
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bat — for baseball

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