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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 · kid · straw · swing · safe · fall · bank · patient

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. branch — a division
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kid — child
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bank — for money
  9. swing — to play on
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. swing — in golf
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bank — of a river
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bank — for money
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kid — to tease

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