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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: bank · tear · bulb · rash · safe · branch · arm · swing

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bulb — for light
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bank — for money
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. branch — a division
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. swing — to play on
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bank — of a river
  21. swing — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. swing — in golf
  24. branch — of a tree

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