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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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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: straw · key · chest · wound · calf · fall · safe · branch

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fall — to drop
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wound — an injury
  14. key — the most important part
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. key — in music
  19. chest — of your body
  20. key — for a lock
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fall — to drop
  24. safe — out of danger

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