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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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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: rash · fork · drill · branch · kick · firm · tear · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kick — in football
  10. firm — decided
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rash — a series
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. branch — a division
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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