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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.

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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: bay · drill · branch · spell · wake · bore · fall · tear

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. drill — the tool
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fall — to drop
  6. drill — army training
  7. bore — to drill
  8. drill — a practice
  9. spell — a short time
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bore — to tire
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. branch — a division
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spell — letters
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. tear — from crying

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