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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: row · cabinet · track · kick · safe · squash · branch · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. track — a song
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. row — to paddle
  7. firm — a company
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. row — a line
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. track — a path
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. firm — steady
  24. safe — out of danger

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