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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: toast · calf · fork · branch · season · lash · safe · cell

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. season — of the year
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. season — in sport
  6. fork — in a road
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. toast — bread
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. cell — in biology

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