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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bank — of a river
  7. can — a tin
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. can — a tin
  10. court — for sport
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bank — for money
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. cap — a hat
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bank — for money
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rock — a stone
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. branch — a division
  24. can — to be able to

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