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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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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: safe · clip · firm · toast · branch · object · press · present

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. clip — a video
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. clip — for paper
  7. press — to push
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. press — newspapers
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. firm — decided
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. branch — a division
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. present — the time now
  16. clip — to cut
  17. present — a gift
  18. object — an aim
  19. present — there
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. press — a publisher
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. toast — bread

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