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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 116 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: saw · straw · hide · chip · branch · wake · calf · bear

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. branch — a division
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bear — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wake — a trail
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. chip — to eat
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. hide — animal skin

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