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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: chest · spell · branch · board · clip · safe · calf · ball

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. board — a committee
  4. ball — a dance
  5. clip — to cut
  6. spell — a short time
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. chest — of your body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — magic
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. board — to get on
  16. spell — letters
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. branch — a division
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. clip — for paper
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. ball — a great time
  24. clip — a video

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