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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: fork · pass · hand · branch · calf · root · squash · bound

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bound — certain
  4. root — of a word
  5. squash — the sport
  6. hand — help
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. root — the cause
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bound — obliged
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. squash — to crush
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pass — a permit
  22. hand — in cards
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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