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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: safe · spring · pass · staff · kick · dip · branch · game

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. branch — a division
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. staff — employees
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pass — a permit
  13. staff — a stick
  14. game — wild animals
  15. spring — of water
  16. game — a match
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. staff — employees
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. kick — in football
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pass — to spend time

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