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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · bass · plane · branch · race · can · chair · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. can — a tin
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. can — a tin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. chair — a leader
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. branch — a division
  18. bass — low music
  19. can — to be able to
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. race — a contest
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bass — the fish

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