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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
468
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 · branch · wound · mine · content · bowl · wax · land

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. land — ground
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. branch — a division
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. content — happy
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wax — to grow
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. content — the amount
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mine — for digging
  24. wound — an injury

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