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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.

Make a worksheet

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: root · straw · mouse · wound · branch · plane · safe · hand

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. hand — in cards
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. root — the cause
  6. branch — a division
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wound — an injury
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. plane — a tool
  15. root — of a word
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. root — of a plant
  20. hand — help
  21. wound — an injury
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mouse — the animal
  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