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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 120 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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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: swing · saw · ruler · fine · safe · branch · wound · kid

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. swing — music
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. swing — to play on
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wound — an injury
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. fine — all right
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wound — an injury
  17. kid — child
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. kid — to tease
  20. swing — in golf
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fine — high quality
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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