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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.

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: safe · net · mouse · stick · clip · branch · trunk · band

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. band — a ring
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. net — after costs
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. net — in sport
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. net — for catching
  21. clip — for paper
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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