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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. date — the fruit
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bound — tied together
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bound — certain
  22. snap — to click
  23. branch — a division
  24. bound — obliged

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