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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: calf · bat · prune · fan · pass · branch · spell · cap

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. prune — to trim
  3. branch — a division
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pass — a permit
  9. spell — magic
  10. bat — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cap — a hat
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. spell — letters
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. prune — the fruit

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