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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: bank · safe · branch · season · content · hand · sharp · ruler

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. hand — help
  3. bank — for money
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bank — of a river
  12. sharp — clever
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. content — the amount
  16. hand — in cards
  17. content — happy
  18. bank — for money
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. season — of the year

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