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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
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: branch · kick · fine · ball · content · season · straw · calf

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. content — happy
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. season — in sport
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. fine — high quality
  11. ball — a dance
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. content — the amount
  18. kick — in football
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. season — of the year
  21. ball — a great time
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fine — all right
  24. kick — with a leg

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