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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 116 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: snap · cell · mine · safe · pass · stick · file · branch

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cell — in biology
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pass — a permit
  15. snap — to click
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mine — for digging
  18. branch — a division
  19. file — a tool
  20. cell — a phone
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. file — a document
  24. branch — of a tree

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