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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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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: toast · snap · track · ruler · land · branch · safe · tear

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. branch — a division
  4. tear — from crying
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. land — a country
  12. tear — to rip
  13. track — a path
  14. snap — to click
  15. track — a song
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. toast — bread
  18. tear — from crying
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ruler — for measuring

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