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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rash — a series
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. branch — a division
  7. cell — a phone
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. capital — a city
  12. pop — music
  13. capital — money
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cell — in biology

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