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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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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: squash · pass · chest · clip · object · safe · branch · pitch

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. object — a thing
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. clip — to cut
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pass — a permit
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. chest — a box
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. object — to protest
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. squash — the sport
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitch — completely
  20. clip — a video
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. branch — a division
  24. object — an aim

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