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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 · bark · cabinet · rash · branch · safe · fall · squash

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bark — to shout
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rash — hasty
  6. branch — a division
  7. squash — to crush
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rash — a series
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. spell — letters
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fall — the season
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spell — magic
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fall — to drop
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. safe — a strongbox

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