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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · game · pitcher · tear · roll · temple · safe · straw

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. tear — from crying
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tear — to rip
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. roll — a cake
  12. tear — from crying
  13. branch — a division
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. game — a match
  23. roll — a list
  24. branch — of a tree

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