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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. current — electric
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. tube — the underground
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. net — after costs
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bat — the animal
  14. current — of water
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. current — happening now
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fine — all right
  22. branch — a division
  23. tube — a container
  24. branch — of a tree

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