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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lean · spell · branch · calf · wind · jam · fine · arm

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fine — all right
  5. spell — a short time
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lean — thin
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. jam — a tight spot

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