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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. staff — a stick
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. staff — employees
  8. race — a contest
  9. wax — to grow
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. present — there
  12. branch — a division
  13. race — humankind
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — a gift
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. staff — employees
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — the time now

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