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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 116 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: bay · file · ball · safe · face · row · racket · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. face — to point toward
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. row — a line
  10. ball — a great time
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. row — to paddle
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. face — to confront
  19. file — a line of people
  20. face — part of the head
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. safe — a strongbox

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