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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. branch — a division
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cell — a phone
  11. perch — the fish
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cell — in biology
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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