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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: row · spell · calf · bear · staff · branch · hand · mate

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mate — a friend
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spell — a short time
  5. row — a line
  6. spell — magic
  7. bear — the animal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. spell — letters
  12. branch — a division
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mate — a partner
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mate — to breed
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. staff — employees
  24. branch — of a bank

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