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

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. swing — music
  6. spring — of water
  7. saw — the tool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spring — a coil
  11. content — happy
  12. swing — to play on
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. present — there
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. present — a gift
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. swing — in golf
  19. present — the time now
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — a division
  22. content — the amount
  23. spring — the season
  24. temple — side of the head

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