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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 120 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: field · branch · bear · pit · present · wave · lash · safe

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. field — for sport
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pit — a hole
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — a division
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. present — a gift
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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