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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
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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: last · track · branch · bank · race · safe · bat · plane

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. race — a contest
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bat — the animal
  6. track — a song
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. branch — a division
  11. last — finally
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bank — for money
  14. last — to go on
  15. track — a path
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bank — for money
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. plane — a tool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bank — of a river
  24. plane — an aircraft

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