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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. board — a committee
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. capital — money
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rash — a series
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fork — in a road
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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