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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. content — happy
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. content — the amount
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. branch — a division
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. sharp — exactly

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