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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 · pitcher · spring · bank · bark · calf · drill · safe

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bank — for money
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. bark — to shout
  19. spell — letters
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. drill — a practice

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