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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
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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: capital · clip · nail · current · lash · branch · safe · chest

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. chest — of your body
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. branch — a division
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — for paper
  10. chest — a box
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. clip — to cut
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chest — of your body
  19. current — of water
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. branch — of a bank

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