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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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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: wind · saw · squash · branch · mate · safe · nail · chip

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. squash — to crush
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mate — a partner
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. chip — for betting
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. branch — a division
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chip — to eat
  12. saw — the tool
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wind — moving air
  16. squash — the sport
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mate — a friend
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mate — to breed

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