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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ground — crushed
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ground — the earth
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. key — in music
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. craft — boats
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. ground — a position
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. branch — of a tree

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