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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 120 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: foot · sharp · branch · march · rash · can · calf · bear

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bear — the animal
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. march — the month
  5. can — to be able to
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. can — a tin
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rash — hasty
  11. branch — a division
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. march — music
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. march — the month
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. sharp — clever
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rash — a series
  22. can — a tin
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. foot — a measure

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