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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. branch — of a tree
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. plane — a tool
  4. press — newspapers
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. branch — a division
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. press — a publisher
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. capital — a city
  16. ground — the earth
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. press — to push
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  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