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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 116 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: hand · sharp · pop · branch · net · calf · trunk · mug

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mug — to rob
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. net — in sport
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pop — soda
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mug — a cup
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. net — for catching
  20. pop — music
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mug — a face
  24. net — after costs

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