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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: present · calf · lash · toast · branch · wind · rush · band

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wind — moving air
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. present — there
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. present — the time now
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. band — a ring
  10. branch — a division
  11. band — a music group
  12. present — a gift
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. toast — bread
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rush — to hurry

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