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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: foot · fall · cell · kick · calf · craft · branch · fork

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fork — in a road
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. craft — boats
  14. cell — in biology
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cell — a phone
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. kick — in football
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fall — the season
  24. calf — a young animal

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