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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: calf · pop · branch · wave · can · ground · fan · spring

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. spring — of water
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spring — a coil
  6. can — to be able to
  7. ground — crushed
  8. branch — a division
  9. pop — soda
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pop — to visit
  16. can — a tin
  17. ground — the earth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. spring — the season
  21. can — a tin
  22. pop — music
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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