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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: safe · chip · face · nail · clip · racket · chair · bank

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. face — to confront
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bank — for money
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chair — a leader
  9. face — part of the head
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. clip — to cut
  12. chip — to eat
  13. clip — a video
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. face — to point toward
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chip — for betting
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bank — of a river
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bank — for money

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