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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: present · spring · lean · mate · branch · straw · safe · date

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. spring — of water
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. present — a gift
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mate — to breed
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lean — to bend
  9. present — the time now
  10. mate — a friend
  11. lean — thin
  12. spring — the season
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. branch — a division
  15. present — there
  16. date — the fruit
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mate — a partner
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. spring — a coil
  23. straw — dry grass
  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