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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fine — all right
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. branch — a division
  21. scale — in music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. fine — high quality

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