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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: board · chest · lie · safe · branch · rush · roll · degree

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. chest — a box
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. degree — temperature
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. chest — of your body
  13. degree — from a university
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. branch — a division
  17. board — a committee
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rush — hurry
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. board — to get on

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