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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. squash — the sport
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mark — a grade
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. date — the fruit
  18. squash — to crush
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. mark — a trace
  23. sharp — clever
  24. calf — a young animal

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