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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: branch · present · bear · safe · mine · pound · drill · wind

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. branch — a division
  6. wind — moving air
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bear — the animal
  11. drill — army training
  12. bear — the animal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. present — a gift
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. drill — a practice
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wind — moving air
  23. present — the time now
  24. pound — a weight

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