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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. branch — a division
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fall — the season
  6. squash — to crush
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. land — a country
  12. fall — to drop
  13. deal — to handle
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. fall — to drop
  19. plane — a tool
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. land — to come down

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