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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: wake · mate · branch · drill · pitch · spell · mug · row

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. spell — magic
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mug — a face
  9. branch — a division
  10. row — a line
  11. drill — army training
  12. wake — a trail
  13. drill — a practice
  14. row — to paddle
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. spell — letters
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mug — to rob
  24. row — a quarrel

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