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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: root · chest · craft · fan · calf · branch · fall · chair

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. chest — a box
  4. branch — a division
  5. root — of a word
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fall — to drop
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. root — the cause
  14. craft — boats
  15. fall — the season
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. craft — a skill

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