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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: safe · suit · spell · row · branch · band · shower · prune

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spell — letters
  3. prune — to trim
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. suit — to fit
  6. branch — a division
  7. shower — to wash
  8. band — a ring
  9. spell — a short time
  10. shower — rain
  11. suit — clothes
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. spell — magic
  15. band — a music group
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. suit — in cards
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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