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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. branch — a division
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mug — to rob
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mug — a face
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. race — humankind
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. race — a contest
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mug — a cup
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. race — the arms race
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. branch — of a bank

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