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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: lie · wind · bark · branch · present · safe · land · racket

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. land — to come down
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. present — a gift
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. present — the time now
  11. land — a country
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. present — there
  15. branch — a division
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lie — to recline
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. land — ground
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bark — of a tree

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