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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: bowl · game · cabinet · jam · safe · branch · clip · cap

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. clip — to cut
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. clip — a video
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. branch — a division
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. clip — for paper
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. cap — a lid
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — a tight spot

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