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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hand — help
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. craft — boats
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. branch — a division
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. kick — in football
  12. hand — in cards
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mate — a partner
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mate — to breed
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mate — a friend

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