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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. tube — a container
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. suit — to fit
  6. race — a contest
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. suit — in cards
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. race — humankind
  16. row — a line
  17. cold — not warm
  18. row — to paddle
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. race — the arms race
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. suit — clothes

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