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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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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: kick · branch · lie · bear · prune · present · spell · calf

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. branch — a division
  3. spell — a short time
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bear — the animal
  6. present — there
  7. spell — letters
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spell — magic
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. present — the time now
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kick — in football
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — a gift

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