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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: chest · bat · prune · kick · fine · safe · branch · object

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. chest — a box
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — to protest
  7. kick — in football
  8. branch — a division
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. prune — to trim
  13. object — a thing
  14. fine — high quality
  15. object — an aim
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fine — all right
  24. kick — a thrill

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