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

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rock — a stone
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. club — a group
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. roll — a list
  12. club — for dancing
  13. scale — in music
  14. roll — a cake
  15. club — for golf
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. scale — size or range
  18. branch — a division
  19. rock — music
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bank — of a river
  24. scale — for weighing

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