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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. branch — a division
  4. cold — an illness
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. firm — decided
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cold — not warm
  15. fall — the season
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. firm — a company
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fall — to drop
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. firm — steady

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