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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.

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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: lean · bat · row · track · branch · shower · safe · chip

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. track — a path
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. shower — to wash
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. shower — rain
  8. lean — to bend
  9. track — a song
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bat — the animal
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. lean — thin
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. safe — out of danger

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