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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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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: chip · plane · branch · toast · safe · wound · kid · straw

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. chip — to eat
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. toast — bread
  6. chip — for betting
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. branch — a division
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kid — to tease
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. plane — a tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. kid — child
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. straw — a straw man

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