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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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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: branch · tear · ruler · safe · present · stick

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. present — the time now
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tear — to rip
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. present — there
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. branch — a division
  16. tear — from crying
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. present — a gift

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