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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: wake · safe · track · branch · bat · bark · straw · bass

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. track — a song
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. track — a path
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. branch — a division
  19. bass — the fish
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. track — to keep track
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bat — the animal

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