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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · band · lean · drill · branch · row · mug · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. band — a music group
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. band — a ring
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. drill — army training
  8. mug — a cup
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. lean — thin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. drill — the tool
  18. row — a line
  19. mug — a face
  20. branch — a division
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mug — to rob
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. lean — to bend

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