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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: branch · spell · court · fork · hide · file · safe · lash

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. court — of law
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. file — a tool
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. court — of a king
  13. file — a line of people
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. court — for sport
  17. file — a document
  18. branch — a division
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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