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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: hide · march · pit · file · safe · craft · key · branch

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. march — the month
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. craft — boats
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. key — the most important part
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. march — music
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. key — in music
  17. branch — a division
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. craft — a skill
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. key — for a lock
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. march — the month

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