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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cold — an illness
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rock — a stone
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rock — music
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pitch — completely
  16. cold — not warm
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cell — a phone
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. branch — a division
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cell — in biology
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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