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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · band · branch · bore · trunk · cue · nail · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. band — a ring
  4. cue — for pool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cue — a hint
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bore — to drill
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bore — to tire
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cue — a signal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. band — a music group
  22. branch — a division
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bore — gave birth

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