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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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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 · branch · lean · clip · club · row · pitch · snap

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. snap — to click
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. clip — a video
  7. pitch — completely
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. lean — thin
  11. branch — a division
  12. clip — to cut
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. club — a group
  15. clip — for paper
  16. club — for golf
  17. lean — to bend
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. club — for dancing

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