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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — hasty
  4. hand — in cards
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. court — for sport
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rash — a series
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. branch — a division
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. branch — 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