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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.

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: perch · cap · current · branch · dip · date · craft · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cap — a hat
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. perch — the fish
  8. cap — a lid
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. cap — of ice
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. craft — a skill
  16. date — the fruit
  17. branch — a division
  18. craft — boats
  19. current — electric
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. dip — to sink
  24. perch — for a bird

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