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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · patient · branch · drill · cell · snap · safe · mark

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mark — a trace
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cell — a phone
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. drill — army training
  12. branch — a division
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. drill — a practice
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. drill — the tool
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. snap — to click

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