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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: perch · mate · calf · branch · root · board · rash · land

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mate — a partner
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — of a word
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. root — the cause
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. board — a committee
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. land — ground
  16. rash — hasty
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rash — a series
  20. land — to come down
  21. board — to get on
  22. mate — to breed
  23. root — of a plant
  24. land — a country

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