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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. snap — to click
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. season — of the year
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bear — the animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. branch — a division
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rash — a series
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fine — all right
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bear — the animal
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. season — in sport

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