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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: drill · wind · ball · branch · dip · stick · rock · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. ball — a great time
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. drill — the tool
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. rock — a stone
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. branch — a division
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a dance
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rock — music
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wind — moving air
  24. drill — army training

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