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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 124 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bound — obliged
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. track — to keep track
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. band — a ring
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bound — certain
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. track — a song
  15. band — a music group
  16. track — a path
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. face — to confront
  21. bound — tied together
  22. branch — a division
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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