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

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. branch — a division
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. track — a path
  6. squash — the sport
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. squash — to crush
  13. track — a song
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. track — to keep track
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cabinet — ministers

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