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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: tube · content · safe · pop · charge · hand · branch · land

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pop — music
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. content — happy
  7. pop — to visit
  8. tube — a container
  9. pop — soda
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. land — a country
  12. tube — the underground
  13. land — ground
  14. charge — in control
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. content — the amount
  18. land — to come down
  19. branch — a division
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. hand — help

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