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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: jam · mark · spring · calf · safe · branch · mine · kid

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. mark — a trace
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. spring — a coil
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mine — for digging
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mark — to pay attention

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