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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: date · branch · mug · spring · mark · safe · game · wound

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. game — a match
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. spring — the season
  14. branch — a division
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mug — a face
  17. spring — a coil
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wound — an injury
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mark — a trace
  24. date — the fruit

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