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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: face · bat · tube · calf · can · branch · rule · bound

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bound — certain
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rule — government
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. face — to confront
  11. bound — tied together
  12. tube — a container
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. face — part of the head
  15. branch — a division
  16. rule — a law
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. can — a tin
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. can — a tin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. can — to be able to

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