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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · hide · wake · calf · safe · pass · branch · last

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wake — a trail
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. drill — the tool
  7. last — finally
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. last — to go on
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. last — final
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. branch — a division
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. pass — to spend time

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