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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: ground · hide · spring · toast · pass · land · calf · branch

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. spring — the season
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. land — to come down
  14. toast — bread
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pass — a permit
  17. branch — a division
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. land — ground
  20. ground — a position
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. land — a country
  24. branch — of a bank

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