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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: branch · rock · cold · safe · cell · can · mouse · fine

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cold — an illness
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. can — a tin
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cold — not warm
  18. fine — all right
  19. rock — music
  20. cell — in biology
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. can — a tin

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