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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.

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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 · tear · kid · safe · temple · swing · cabinet · race

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. tear — to rip
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. race — humankind
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kid — to tease
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. swing — in golf
  13. race — a contest
  14. swing — music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. kid — child
  18. race — the arms race
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. branch — of a bank

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