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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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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: mug · chair · safe · swing · clip · branch · chip · board

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. branch — a division
  3. mug — a cup
  4. swing — to play on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. chip — for betting
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. swing — music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. board — to get on
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. clip — for paper
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. clip — a video
  23. swing — in golf
  24. branch — of a bank

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