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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. drill — a practice
  3. spell — a short time
  4. drill — the tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. spell — letters
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mine — for digging
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. drill — army training
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. perch — the fish
  24. spell — magic

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