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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: branch · date · rash · craft · spring · march · calf · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rash — hasty
  3. branch — a division
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. spring — the season
  7. date — the fruit
  8. march — music
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. march — the month
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. craft — a skill
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spring — of water
  19. craft — boats
  20. march — the month
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rash — a series

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