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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. march — the month
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pop — music
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. march — the month
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. march — music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pop — soda
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pop — to visit
  20. ball — a dance
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. branch — a division
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. prune — to trim

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