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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 · wound · snap · bowl · nail · branch · dip · trunk

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. wound — an injury
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. branch — a division
  16. dip — to sink
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bowl — a football final

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