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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: bear · current · object · file · branch · calf · spring · perch

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. file — a document
  3. object — to protest
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. current — of water
  9. object — an aim
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bear — the animal
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. current — happening now
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. file — a tool
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. spring — a coil
  20. file — a line of people
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. object — a thing
  23. spring — of water
  24. current — electric

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