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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: bank · last · land · branch · jam · chest · fork · calf

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. chest — a box
  3. land — ground
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bank — for money
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. land — a country
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. land — to come down
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bank — of a river
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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