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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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. hand — help
  5. suit — to fit
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fall — to drop
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. content — happy
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fall — the season
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. content — the amount
  23. fall — to drop
  24. branch — a division

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