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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. current — happening now
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tear — from crying
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. tear — to rip
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. current — of water
  18. cap — a hat
  19. branch — a division
  20. current — electric
  21. tear — from crying
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. safe — a strongbox

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