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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. swing — to play on
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. swing — in golf
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. key — in music
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. swing — music
  11. stem — to come from
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. key — for a lock
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. branch — a division
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bat — the animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. hide — to keep secret

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