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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. branch — a division
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. season — of the year
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. present — there
  10. season — in sport
  11. date — the fruit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. field — for sport
  14. current — of water
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. present — the time now
  19. current — electric
  20. present — a gift
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. plane — a tool
  23. current — happening now
  24. calf — of the leg

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