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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · pop · branch · arm · mark · wind · chest · safe

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pop — music
  4. mark — a grade
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pop — soda
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chest — of your body
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pop — to visit
  12. branch — a division
  13. chest — of your body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wind — moving air
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chest — a box
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wind — moving air
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. arm — a part of something

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