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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 120 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: branch · leaves · safe · sharp · bass · spell · perch · cell

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. spell — a short time
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. branch — a division
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bass — the fish
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cell — a phone
  15. spell — magic
  16. bass — low music
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. spell — letters
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. sharp — clever
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. branch — of a bank

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