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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. branch — a division
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rash — a series
  8. pop — music
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pop — to visit
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cell — a phone
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pop — soda
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. calf — a young animal

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