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

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. cell — a phone
  5. present — a gift
  6. object — a thing
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. track — a path
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. spell — magic
  14. object — to protest
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. present — there
  18. plane — a tool
  19. present — the time now
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. track — a song
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. track — to keep track
  24. object — an aim

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