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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. branch — a division
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. key — the most important part
  8. staff — employees
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ball — a dance
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ball — a great time
  14. key — in music
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. staff — employees
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. key — for a lock
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. staff — a stick

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