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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: snap · leaves · firm · branch · wind · track · toast · calf

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. firm — decided
  3. track — a path
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. track — to keep track
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. snap — to click
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. toast — bread
  13. firm — steady
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wind — moving air
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. branch — a division
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. firm — a company
  22. track — a song
  23. wind — moving air
  24. branch — of a tree

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