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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. march — the month
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pass — a permit
  7. field — farmland
  8. march — the month
  9. hand — in cards
  10. kick — in football
  11. branch — a division
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. field — for sport
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. field — a subject
  20. hand — help
  21. wax — to grow
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. march — music
  24. branch — of a tree

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