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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.

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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. charge — a price
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fall — the season
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bear — the animal
  15. row — a line
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bear — the animal
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. charge — in control
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fall — to drop

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