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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 · arm · branch · present · safe · drill · scale · march

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. drill — the tool
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. scale — in music
  9. spell — a short time
  10. march — music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spell — letters
  13. present — there
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. branch — a division
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. drill — army training
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. scale — size or range
  24. spell — magic

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