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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. drill — army training
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. face — to confront
  7. can — a tin
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. face — part of the head
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. face — to point toward
  13. drill — a practice
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mark — a trace
  16. branch — a division
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mark — a grade
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. drill — the tool
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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