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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: fan · safe · firm · branch · kick · land · staff · file

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. kick — in football
  5. land — a country
  6. firm — a company
  7. land — ground
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. branch — a division
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. file — a document
  16. firm — steady
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. staff — a stick
  21. land — to come down
  22. firm — decided
  23. staff — employees
  24. file — a tool

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