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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. present — there
  4. race — the arms race
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. race — humankind
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. present — the time now
  15. file — a document
  16. branch — a division
  17. file — a line of people
  18. present — a gift
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. race — a contest
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bank — of a river
  23. content — the amount
  24. file — a tool

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