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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. band — a ring
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rest — a break
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. key — in music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. branch — a division
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. band — a music group
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. kick — in football
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rest — what's left

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