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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chest · straw · mug · rule · branch · board · safe · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. branch — a division
  8. current — electric
  9. board — a committee
  10. chest — of your body
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chest — a box
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mug — to rob
  16. board — to get on
  17. rule — a law
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rule — government
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. current — of water

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