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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 116 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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. last — final
  4. spring — a coil
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. last — finally
  7. spring — the season
  8. last — to go on
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. branch — a division
  18. spring — of water
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mug — a cup

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