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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: safe · season · mug · vault · branch · chip · wind · wave

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. season — of the year
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mug — to rob
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. branch — a division
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wind — moving air
  19. season — in sport
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. chip — for betting
  24. safe — out of danger

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