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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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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: branch · land · drill · rash · wake · safe · dip · mug

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mug — to rob
  8. land — a country
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. drill — the tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. land — to come down
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. land — ground
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mug — a face
  19. drill — army training
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rash — a series
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wake — a trail

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