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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. branch — a division
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cue — a signal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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