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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: bear · arm · branch · mine · tear · content · safe · bay

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mine — for digging
  3. tear — to rip
  4. branch — a division
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. content — happy
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. content — the amount
  13. bear — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. arm — a part of something

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