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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mine — for digging
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. field — a subject
  5. bank — of a river
  6. field — farmland
  7. branch — a division
  8. bank — for money
  9. field — for sport
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. craft — boats
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. snap — to click
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. safe — a strongbox

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