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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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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: calf · cap · wind · craft · spell · perch · branch · bulb

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. craft — boats
  7. cap — a lid
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cap — of ice
  10. perch — the fish
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. spell — letters
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cap — a hat
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. spell — magic
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. branch — a division
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. spell — a short time
  24. wind — moving air

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