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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: bark · calf · branch · net · tear · ground · squash · suit

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. branch — a division
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. suit — to fit
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. net — for catching
  13. suit — in cards
  14. tear — to rip
  15. net — after costs
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bark — to shout
  18. squash — the sport
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. net — in sport
  23. tear — from crying
  24. suit — clothes

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