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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. club — a group
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. branch — a division
  10. club — for dancing
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wind — moving air
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. club — for golf
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. scale — in music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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