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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: safe · wind · squash · press · sharp · fine · branch · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fine — high quality
  3. squash — to crush
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fine — all right
  10. sharp — clever
  11. press — to push
  12. squash — the sport
  13. press — a publisher
  14. key — in music
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wind — moving air
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. branch — of a bank

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