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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bear — the animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rash — a series
  9. branch — a division
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. net — after costs
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. net — for catching
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. net — in sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bear — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wound — an injury

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