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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. branch — a division
  3. kid — child
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lean — thin
  6. hand — help
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. swing — music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rule — government
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. kid — to tease
  20. lean — to bend
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — to rule out
  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