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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: spell · fall · bore · current · bark · squash · calf · branch

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. squash — to crush
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bore — to tire
  10. current — electric
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. fall — to drop
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. squash — the sport
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. spell — a short time
  18. current — happening now
  19. spell — letters
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fall — the season
  22. spell — magic
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. current — of water

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