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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. branch — a division
  6. charge — a price
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. charge — in control
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. fan — a supporter

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