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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · calf · last · object · kick · sharp · tear · bore

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. last — to go on
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bore — to drill
  6. kick — in football
  7. last — final
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bore — to tire
  10. last — finally
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. object — a thing
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. branch — a division
  20. object — an aim
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. tear — from crying
  23. object — to protest
  24. calf — of the 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