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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · lean · capital · branch · patient · object · fork · squash

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. capital — a city
  5. squash — to crush
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. capital — money
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. branch — a division
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. object — to protest
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. lean — thin
  20. fork — in a road
  21. squash — the sport
  22. object — a thing
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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