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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. prune — to trim
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tube — a container
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. branch — a division
  15. tube — the underground
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. perch — the fish
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — to keep track

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