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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. game — wild animals
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cap — a lid
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. content — the amount
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cap — a hat
  23. content — happy
  24. branch — of a tree

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