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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. branch — a division
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. face — to point toward
  9. tear — to rip
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. face — part of the head
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. tear — from crying
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rest — a break
  20. face — to confront
  21. tear — from crying
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. kid — child

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