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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. branch — a division
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. tube — a container
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. perch — the fish
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tear — from crying

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