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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.

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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: face · bear · safe · last · branch · chair · straw · cue

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cue — for pool
  3. branch — a division
  4. last — to go on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. cue — a hint
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. face — to point toward
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cue — a signal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. safe — out of danger

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