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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. branch — a division
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lean — thin
  20. mate — a friend
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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