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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: bound · branch · kick · perch · stand · mine · calf · shower

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. branch — a division
  6. mine — for digging
  7. kick — in football
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bound — tied together
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. perch — the fish
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. stand — to bear
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bound — certain

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