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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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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: row · calf · branch · track · stick · fork · clip · foot

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. track — a path
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fork — in a road
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. track — a song
  13. foot — a measure
  14. clip — to cut
  15. row — a line
  16. branch — a division
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. clip — a video
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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