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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. clip — for paper
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. object — a thing
  7. spring — the season
  8. object — to protest
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. branch — a division
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. clip — a video
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stock — goods
  16. object — an aim
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. stock — shares
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fork — in a road
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. clip — to cut
  24. branch — of a tree

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