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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. march — music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. branch — a division
  5. march — the month
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. march — the month
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cap — a lid
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cap — of ice
  22. season — in sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cap — a hat

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