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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 120 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cold — not warm
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. branch — a division
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bear — the animal
  18. charge — a price
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bear — the animal
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. charge — in control

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