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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. current — happening now
  4. mate — a partner
  5. snap — to click
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. rock — a stone
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. current — of water
  13. rock — music
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. tear — from crying
  18. branch — a division
  19. current — electric
  20. mate — a friend
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bound — obliged
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mate — to breed

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