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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: pitcher · branch · toast · pass · spell · calf · hide · can

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. spell — letters
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. can — to be able to
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. spell — magic
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spell — a short time
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pass — a permit
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. can — a tin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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