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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: key · safe · bound · branch · land · stand · mine · mouse

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. land — to come down
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. branch — a division
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bound — tied together
  15. land — a country
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. land — ground
  20. key — in music
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mine — for digging
  23. stand — to bear
  24. safe — out of danger

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