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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. drill — army training
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rule — government
  10. can — a tin
  11. drill — the tool
  12. perch — the fish
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stand — to bear
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. squash — the sport
  20. branch — a division
  21. drill — a practice
  22. can — a tin
  23. perch — for a bird
  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