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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: wound · hide · branch · safe · field · mug · calf · bass

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. field — a subject
  6. mug — a face
  7. field — farmland
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wound — an injury
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. branch — a division
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mug — to rob
  16. field — for sport
  17. bass — low music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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