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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: safe · branch · pitcher · craft · charge · wound · squash · firm

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. craft — boats
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wound — an injury
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. firm — decided
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. firm — steady
  21. charge — electricity
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. firm — a company
  24. branch — a division

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