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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. face — to confront
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. face — part of the head
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. race — humankind
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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