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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 116 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bank — of a river
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rash — hasty
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cap — of ice
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cap — a hat
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. branch — a division
  20. kid — child
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. rash — a series
  24. cap — a lid

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