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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 116 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: fan · tear · branch · ball · bear · safe · net · rash

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bear — the animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rash — a series
  9. branch — a division
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. net — in sport
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rash — hasty
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ball — a dance
  24. net — after costs

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