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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 · can · branch · staff · rule · ground · straw

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rule — a law
  6. clip — a video
  7. staff — a stick
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. clip — to cut
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. staff — employees
  14. branch — a division
  15. ground — a position
  16. rule — government
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. staff — employees
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. can — a tin
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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