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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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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 · wound · branch · saw · lash · wake · firm · spell

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. wake — a trail
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. saw — the tool
  8. firm — decided
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. firm — a company
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — letters
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. spell — a short time
  21. firm — steady
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. calf — a young animal

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