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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: tear · calf · pop · lean · rush · tube · racket · branch

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lean — to bend
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pop — soda
  9. branch — a division
  10. tube — a container
  11. rush — hurry
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lean — thin
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pop — music
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. tube — the underground
  24. racket — for tennis

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