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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: safe · kick · spring · arm · clip · branch · court · face

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. face — to point toward
  4. branch — a division
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. court — for sport
  7. clip — for paper
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. court — of a king
  10. kick — in football
  11. spring — of water
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. clip — to cut
  14. court — of law
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. face — part of the head
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. clip — a video
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. face — to confront
  24. branch — of a bank

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