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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: deal · saw · field · mine · safe · branch · spring · bay

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. spring — of water
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. field — a subject
  8. branch — a division
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. saw — the tool
  12. deal — to handle
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. saw — the tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. field — for sport
  18. spring — the season
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mine — for digging
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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