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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rash — hasty
  15. game — a match
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree

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