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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: calf · tube · bank · branch · craft · rest · safe · wound

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wound — an injury
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bank — for money
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bank — of a river
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rest — a break
  22. bank — for money
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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