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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. file — a document
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. roll — a cake
  6. branch — a division
  7. net — for catching
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. file — a line of people
  11. kick — in football
  12. net — after costs
  13. file — a tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tear — to rip
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. can — to be able to
  21. roll — a list
  22. tear — from crying
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. net — in sport

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