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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. suit — in cards
  5. content — the amount
  6. branch — a division
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — hurry
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. suit — to fit
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — happy
  20. bat — the animal
  21. suit — clothes
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bat — in an idiom

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