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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. kid — to tease
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mark — a trace
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rock — music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. deal — to handle
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. branch — a division
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mark — a grade
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. safe — a strongbox

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