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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. march — the month
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mark — a grade
  8. root — the cause
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mark — a trace
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. march — music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. vault — a safe
  23. march — the month
  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