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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: mine · fall · branch · roll · lean · net · craft · safe

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. lean — thin
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. net — for catching
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. craft — boats
  7. net — after costs
  8. branch — a division
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. lean — to bend
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. roll — a cake
  15. net — in sport
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. roll — a list
  21. fall — to drop
  22. craft — a skill
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mine — for digging

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