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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: last · bear · roll · safe · fan · lean · cap · branch

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. last — finally
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. branch — a division
  11. last — to go on
  12. roll — a list
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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