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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: patient · safe · pop · rock · bank · swing · branch · fall

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rock — music
  3. bank — of a river
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pop — music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pop — soda
  11. fall — the season
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bank — for money
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pop — to visit
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. swing — in golf
  19. branch — a division
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. swing — music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bank — for money
  24. rock — a stone

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