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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · rest · pitcher · sharp · branch · dip · safe

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. sharp — clever
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. dip — to sink
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rest — a break
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. spell — letters

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