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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 116 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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stand — to bear
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. face — part of the head
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. shower — rain
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. face — to confront
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bear — the animal
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. face — to point toward
  23. coach — a trainer
  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