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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.

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: march · safe · swing · fan · branch · bore · bear · lie

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. branch — a division
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bear — the animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. march — music
  10. bore — to drill
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. march — the month
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. swing — in golf
  18. march — the month
  19. swing — music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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