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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. branch — a division
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bore — to tire
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. calf — of the leg

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