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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: fall · ground · branch · present · wake · safe · firm · fan

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. branch — a division
  3. present — there
  4. ground — a position
  5. fall — the season
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. firm — steady
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. firm — decided
  16. present — the time now
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fall — to drop
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ground — the earth
  24. firm — a company

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