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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: fan · object · rest · branch · calf · season · cell · mug

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cell — in biology
  7. object — an aim
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rest — a break
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mug — a cup
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — a thing
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. season — of the year
  21. object — to protest
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. cell — in a prison

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