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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rest — a break
  3. lie — to recline
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. vault — a safe
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mug — a cup
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. field — for sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mug — to rob
  17. field — farmland
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rest — what's left
  23. field — a subject
  24. calf — of the leg

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