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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.

Make a worksheet

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: branch · tube · charge · straw · dip · safe · arm · date

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. charge — a price
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. tube — the underground
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. branch — a division
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. charge — electricity
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. charge — in control
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. date — the fruit
  24. branch — of a bank

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