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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. firm — steady
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. firm — a company
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lie — to recline
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mine — for digging
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pop — music
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. branch — a division
  22. pop — soda
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. squash — the sport

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