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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: saw · pound · kick · calf · deal · stand · track · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stand — to bear
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. deal — to handle
  13. track — a path
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. saw — the tool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pound — a weight
  23. track — a song
  24. kick — in football

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