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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 124 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. clip — a video
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mug — a face
  9. clip — to cut
  10. branch — a division
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. shower — rain
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. clip — for paper
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cell — in biology
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. shower — to wash
  19. fall — to drop
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cell — a phone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fall — the season

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