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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. snap — to click
  4. bass — low music
  5. branch — a division
  6. drill — army training
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. key — the most important part
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bass — the fish
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — a practice
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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