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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: bark · mouse · straw · cell · rash · branch · leaves · safe

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rash — a series
  3. bark — to shout
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. branch — a division
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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