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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. tube — a container
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cold — an illness
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. branch — a division
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. chair — a leader
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cold — not warm
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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