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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: board · clip · spring · plane · branch · cabinet · calf · hide

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. spring — the season
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. clip — for paper
  11. board — to get on
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. clip — a video
  15. spring — of water
  16. branch — a division
  17. plane — a tool
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. clip — to cut
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spring — a coil

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