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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
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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: hide · fork · suit · calf · row · clip · branch · game

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. suit — to fit
  7. clip — a video
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. clip — for paper
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — in cards
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. suit — clothes
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fork — in a road
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. clip — to cut
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. branch — a division

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