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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spring — of water
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. staff — a stick
  19. branch — a division
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. spring — the season

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