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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 116 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: cold · safe · stock · pound · saw · cabinet · fall · branch

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stock — goods
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. fall — the season
  16. cold — not warm
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. fall — to drop
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cold — an illness
  22. branch — a division
  23. stock — shares
  24. cabinet — ministers

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