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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mug — a cup
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. craft — boats
  12. content — the amount
  13. branch — a division
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. content — happy
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mark — a grade
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. cell — a phone

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