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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. tear — from crying
  3. land — ground
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. branch — a division
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. land — to come down
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. tear — from crying
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rock — music
  12. land — a country
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pit — a hole
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rock — a stone
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pit — in a race
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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