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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: safe · temple · bowl · stand · branch · fine · wind · tube

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fine — all right
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. tube — the underground
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tube — a container
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — a division
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. fine — high quality

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