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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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Word bank
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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 · present · sharp · pop · cell · branch · cap · rule

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. present — a gift
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cap — a hat
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cell — in biology
  8. present — the time now
  9. cap — of ice
  10. present — there
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pop — music
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. pop — to visit
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pop — soda
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cap — a lid

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