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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 116 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: mate · staff · fine · bark · squash · drill · branch · spell

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. spell — a short time
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. drill — army training
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. branch — a division
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. drill — a practice
  16. staff — employees
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. staff — employees
  19. bark — to shout
  20. drill — the tool
  21. squash — the sport
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. squash — the vegetable

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