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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. spell — a short time
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. spell — magic
  7. bat — the animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pop — to visit
  11. spell — letters
  12. rock — music
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pop — soda
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cue — a hint
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. branch — a division
  23. pop — music
  24. calf — a young animal

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