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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. present — the time now
  6. branch — a division
  7. shower — rain
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mate — a friend
  10. present — a gift
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. present — there
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mate — a partner
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. calf — a young animal

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