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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.

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: cell · safe · branch · season · content · spring · tear · bass

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. tear — from crying
  3. spring — of water
  4. season — of the year
  5. content — happy
  6. season — in sport
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. branch — a division
  13. content — the amount
  14. spring — the season
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bass — low music
  24. branch — of a tree

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