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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.

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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: safe · pitcher · stem · branch · saw · land · fork · tube

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. land — ground
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. tube — a container
  10. branch — a division
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. fork — in a road
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. saw — the tool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. branch — of a tree

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