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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: wind · perch · trunk · wave · mine · spell · calf · branch

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. spell — magic
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mine — for digging
  15. perch — the fish
  16. spell — letters
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. spell — a short time
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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