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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: wave · content · wake · deal · safe · bark · branch · mine

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. content — the amount
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bark — to shout
  19. deal — to handle
  20. content — happy
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. safe — a strongbox

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