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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. can — a tin
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. branch — a division
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — government
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. calf — of the leg

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