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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.

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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: spell · bay · kid · stick · leaves · branch · bear · nail

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. branch — a division
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. spell — magic
  5. kid — child
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. spell — letters
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bear — the animal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. kid — to tease
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. branch — of a tree

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