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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 112 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: drill · calf · trunk · bowl · wave · chip · branch · hand

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. drill — a practice
  3. branch — a division
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. drill — the tool
  8. hand — help
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. hand — in cards
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. drill — army training
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. chip — for betting
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wave — with your hand

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