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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 · last · branch · arm · bowl · file · bore · clip

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. file — a line of people
  3. last — finally
  4. bore — to tire
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. file — a tool
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. last — to go on
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. clip — to cut
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. last — final
  14. bore — to drill
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. clip — for paper
  17. file — a document
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. branch — a division
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. clip — a video
  24. arm — a part of something

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