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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.

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
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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: straw · saw · rest · wax · file · branch · fan · safe

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rest — what's left
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rest — a break
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. file — a tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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