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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: branch · safe · mouse · track · bound · ball · saw · wind

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. track — a song
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. track — a path
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. branch — a division
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. track — to keep track
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ball — a dance

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