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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.

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: row · fan · racket · safe · staff · straw · coach · branch

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. row — to paddle
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. staff — employees
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. branch — a division
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. staff — employees
  22. row — a line
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fan — a supporter

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