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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: ball · wind · branch · wound · court · wake · calf · cabinet

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wake — a trail
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wound — an injury
  20. branch — a division
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. court — for sport
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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