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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. object — a thing
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. wound — an injury
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. object — an aim
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wound — an injury
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. branch — a division
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. object — to protest
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. club — for golf

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