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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · branch · spring · calf · roll · fan · march · wound

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. spring — the season
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. roll — a list
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. branch — a division
  11. wound — an injury
  12. spring — a coil
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. key — for a lock
  16. march — the month
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spring — of water
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. key — in music
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wound — an injury
  24. roll — a cake

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