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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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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: branch · last · fall · kick · straw · pound · spell · safe

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. fall — the season
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. spell — letters
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. kick — in football
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fall — to drop
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. last — final
  16. fall — to drop
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. spell — magic
  21. last — finally
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. spell — a short time
  24. last — to go on

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