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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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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: foot · branch · bear · bank · calf · fall · mouse · cap

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cap — a hat
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fall — the season
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bank — of a river
  16. branch — a division
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bank — for money
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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