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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. kid — to tease
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. branch — a division
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. press — to push
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bound — obliged
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. snap — to click
  15. press — newspapers
  16. kid — child
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. press — a publisher
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. branch — of a bank

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