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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. lie — to recline
  4. suit — clothes
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wax — to grow
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. craft — boats
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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