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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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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: rule · wave · mate · rock · straw · calf · bear · branch

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. branch — a division
  5. rock — music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rule — a law
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rock — a stone
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rule — government
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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