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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 116 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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. degree — from a university
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. bear — the animal
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pass — a permit
  11. current — happening now
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kid — to tease
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. current — of water
  19. degree — an amount
  20. cap — of ice
  21. current — electric
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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