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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.

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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: safe · tube · branch · plane · fall · file · rash · present

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fall — to drop
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. present — the time now
  7. file — a tool
  8. rash — hasty
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. file — a document
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. branch — a division
  16. tube — a container
  17. present — a gift
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rash — a series
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fall — the season
  23. present — there
  24. rash — on the skin

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