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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. branch — a division
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. present — the time now
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. shower — rain
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. shower — to wash
  20. wound — an injury
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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