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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cue — a signal
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. court — for sport
  9. branch — a division
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cue — a hint
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. court — of a king
  17. hand — in cards
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. hand — help
  20. lie — to recline
  21. court — of law
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cue — for pool

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