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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: safe · mug · bat · chair · prune · fan · arm · branch

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mug — a cup
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. branch — a division
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bat — the animal
  24. prune — to trim

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