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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: mate · calf · branch · fine · degree · leaves · land · key

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fine — all right
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. degree — from a university
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. key — the most important part
  12. land — ground
  13. branch — a division
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. key — in music
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. land — a country
  18. degree — an amount
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. degree — temperature
  21. key — for a lock
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fine — high quality
  24. land — to come down

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