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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: coach · spring · safe · land · pass · branch · temple · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. land — to come down
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. branch — a division
  14. pass — a permit
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spring — a coil
  19. land — a country
  20. rush — hurry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. land — ground

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