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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.

Make a worksheet

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: present · branch · spring · lash · mine · fall · calf · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. branch — a division
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. spring — of water
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. present — the time now
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fall — the season
  14. wax — to grow
  15. fall — to drop
  16. present — a gift
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spring — the season
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fall — to drop
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. present — there

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