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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. branch — a division
  3. squash — to crush
  4. ground — crushed
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bulb — for light
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. deal — to handle
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ground — a position
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bound — obliged
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bound — certain
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bulb — for light
  23. branch — of a tree
  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