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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. court — of a king
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. field — for sport
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. court — of law
  9. field — a subject
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. field — farmland
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. court — for sport
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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