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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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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 · bear · dip · spell · row · branch · calf · land

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. present — a gift
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bear — the animal
  4. land — to come down
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. bear — the animal
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. spell — magic
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. present — the time now
  15. row — a line
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. branch — a division
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  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