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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: branch · straw · track · safe · cell · rest · rush · arm

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cell — a phone
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. branch — a division
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. track — a song
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cell — in biology
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rush — hurry
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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