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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. rest — a break
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. branch — a division
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. file — a line of people
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. file — a tool
  13. key — the most important part
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. file — a document
  16. rest — what's left
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. key — for a lock
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. key — in music
  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