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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cold — not warm
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. shower — rain
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bank — of a river
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pop — soda
  10. bank — for money
  11. pop — to visit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pop — music
  15. shower — to wash
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. branch — a division
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bank — for money

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