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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: clip · calf · branch · safe · deal · wound · chest · bark

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. clip — a video
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. branch — a division
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. clip — for paper
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. deal — to handle
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wound — an injury
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chest — of your body
  21. clip — to cut
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. chest — of your body

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