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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: bark · mate · calf · rash · chair · capital · rock · branch

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. branch — a division
  3. chair — a leader
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. capital — a city
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rash — a series
  12. capital — money
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rock — music
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bark — to shout
  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