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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · spell · leaves · cell · wake · club · clip · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. club — for dancing
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. clip — to cut
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wake — a trail
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. spell — a short time
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cell — in biology
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. spell — magic
  16. clip — for paper
  17. spell — letters
  18. club — for golf
  19. cell — a phone
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. club — a group
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. branch — a division
  24. clip — a video

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