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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. perch — the fish
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. season — of the year
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. leaves — of a tree

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