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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. dip — to sink
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cell — in biology
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. file — a document
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. date — the fruit
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. branch — a division
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cell — a phone

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