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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.

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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: wound · safe · saw · charge · branch · cue · sharp · file

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cue — a signal
  4. file — a line of people
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cue — for pool
  10. branch — a division
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a tool
  13. charge — a price
  14. cue — a hint
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. charge — electricity
  17. file — a document
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. charge — in control
  24. saw — the tool

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