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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. drill — a practice
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. cell — a phone
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bat — the animal
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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