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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: cap · branch · calf · shower · rock · mug · board · bark

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cap — of ice
  9. board — a committee
  10. shower — rain
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rock — music
  13. board — to get on
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mug — a cup
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cap — a hat
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bark — to shout
  21. branch — a division
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rock — a stone

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