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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: branch · coach · stick · fan · cabinet · calf · bore · snap

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. snap — to click
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bore — to drill
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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