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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: march · tear · calf · wax · mark · bowl · branch · stick

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. march — the month
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. march — the month
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mark — a trace
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. branch — a division
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tear — to rip
  20. march — music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bowl — a football final

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