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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wind · branch · pitch · chair · safe · tube · pop · staff

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wind — moving air
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pop — soda
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. staff — employees
  13. branch — a division
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. staff — a stick
  17. tube — a container
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. safe — a strongbox

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