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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: saw · branch · firm · degree · bay · safe · content · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. content — happy
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. firm — decided
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. saw — the tool
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. saw — the tool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. firm — a company
  13. content — the amount
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. degree — from a university
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. firm — steady
  22. degree — an amount
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. degree — temperature

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