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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. kick — in football
  9. branch — a division
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mate — a friend
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. march — music
  16. chip — to eat
  17. march — the month
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mate — a partner
  20. chip — for betting
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mate — to breed

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