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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 116 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: branch · clip · rest · suit · drill · object · safe · chair

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. chair — a leader
  3. object — a thing
  4. rest — a break
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. drill — the tool
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. object — an aim
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. suit — in cards
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. branch — a division
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. clip — for paper
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — army training
  19. suit — clothes
  20. drill — a practice
  21. object — to protest
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — a video
  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