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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 120 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: spell · branch · calf · leaves · lash · fork · march · content

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fork — in a road
  10. branch — a division
  11. march — music
  12. content — happy
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. march — the month
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. march — the month
  21. spell — letters
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. content — the amount
  24. spell — magic

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