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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 · calf · bark · cell · club · branch · pass · craft

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pass — a permit
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cell — in biology
  8. branch — a division
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. spell — a short time
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. craft — a skill
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bark — to shout
  16. club — for golf
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. craft — boats
  21. cell — a phone
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. cell — in a prison

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