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

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. capital — a city
  4. branch — a division
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lie — to recline
  8. capital — money
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. band — a music group
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bark — to shout
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. band — a ring

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