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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. branch — a division
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. rush — hurry
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. object — a thing
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. land — to come down
  14. object — an aim
  15. can — a tin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. land — ground
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. can — a tin
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. can — to be able to
  24. land — a country

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