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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: branch · clip · last · pop · squash · stand · wax · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. squash — to crush
  3. last — to go on
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stand — to bear
  6. clip — a video
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wax — to grow
  9. branch — a division
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. clip — to cut
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. clip — for paper
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. branch — of a tree

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