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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: arm · board · branch · roll · deal · calf · fine · sharp

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. board — to get on
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fine — high quality
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. sharp — clever
  12. roll — a cake
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. roll — a list
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. deal — to handle
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. board — a committee
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. deal — an agreement
  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