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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: fine · coach · file · last · safe · branch · wake · straw

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. file — a line of people
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. file — a tool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. last — to go on
  10. fine — all right
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. last — final
  13. branch — a division
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wake — a trail
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. last — finally
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. file — a document
  21. fine — high quality
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fine — a penalty

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