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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bass — the fish
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. tube — the underground
  17. branch — a division
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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