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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mark — a grade
  7. can — a tin
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. prune — to trim
  11. last — finally
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mark — a trace
  14. last — final
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. can — a tin
  20. last — to go on
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. hide — to keep secret

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