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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 116 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: calf · branch · kick · can · pound · club · last · mug

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. kick — in football
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. club — for dancing
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pound — a weight
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. can — to be able to
  14. last — to go on
  15. branch — a division
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. last — final
  20. club — a group
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. club — for golf

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