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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 120 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: safe · branch · file · lean · lie · pit · chip · degree

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. file — a tool
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pit — a hole
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. degree — an amount
  17. lean — thin
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. file — a line of people
  20. degree — from a university
  21. file — a document
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. degree — temperature
  24. chip — for betting

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