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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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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 · tube · fall · craft · shower · rule · calf · fan

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fall — to drop
  4. craft — a skill
  5. rule — a law
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. tube — a container
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fall — to drop
  15. craft — boats
  16. rule — government
  17. shower — to wash
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fall — the season
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. shower — rain

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