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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. roll — a cake
  5. lean — thin
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. object — to protest
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. object — an aim
  10. spell — magic
  11. branch — a division
  12. wake — a trail
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. spell — a short time
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. spell — letters
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. object — a thing
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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