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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rash — a series
  4. craft — a skill
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. date — the fruit
  8. hand — help
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. craft — boats
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. board — a committee
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. hand — in cards
  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