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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.

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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: face · net · branch · shower · trunk · calf · row · firm

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. shower — rain
  5. row — to paddle
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. face — part of the head
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. face — to confront
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. shower — to wash
  16. firm — a company
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. firm — decided
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. firm — steady
  22. row — a line
  23. branch — a division
  24. face — to point toward

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