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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: saw · snap · safe · trunk · foot · branch · content · last

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. last — finally
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. saw — the tool
  6. last — to go on
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. snap — to click
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. last — final
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. content — the amount
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. branch — a division
  23. content — happy
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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