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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 · row · race · trunk · branch · game · fan · foot

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. foot — a measure
  15. game — a match
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. race — humankind
  20. branch — a division
  21. game — wild animals
  22. race — a contest
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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