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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
468
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: tear · branch · jam · track · chair · safe · fine · calf

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fine — all right
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tear — from crying
  12. track — a song
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. track — a path
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. jam — in traffic

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