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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: file · dip · pop · calf · chest · craft · branch · fork

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. craft — boats
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pop — soda
  8. file — a line of people
  9. chest — a box
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. branch — a division
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pop — to visit
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pop — music
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fork — in a road

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