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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 · saw · coach · safe · tube · stick · file · pop

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. file — a tool
  3. pop — music
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. file — a document
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tube — a container
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. saw — the tool
  13. branch — a division
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. file — a line of people
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. tube — the underground
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. coach — a trainer

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